Dragon Star
by RandyPandy
Summary: Something changed. Bruno was not the guardian of the Planetary Gear. Someone else is. That one small change, however, may save lives. Arc Cradle AU.
1. The Third Guardian

_This is an older fic that I finished but hadn't posted. I'd scrap it, but I went through too much effort to meticulously plot out every detail of the featured duel that happens in it, and I really didn't want to make it go to waste._

 _Japanese terminology used because I watched the Japanese subs first and actually don't know half the English names for a lot of these._

 _There will be an outline of the duel and any new cards I made up at the end of the fic._

* * *

"Just how much further does this path extend?" Yusei mused, looking in front of him at Dark Glass.

The two of them had been on their path the longest, he knew; the throbbing that he had felt from the Crimson Dragon birthmark on his arm had been proof of that. But he wasn't surprised. The map of the Arc Cradle that Dark Glass had (somehow) pulled up had shown three paths to the Planetary Gears and then three paths from there to the Support Gear.

Given how it had been set up, they'd been lucky that some of them had landed on each path. Otherwise, there would have been no way to stop all of the gears in time, especially given that there seemed to be guardians. Aki and Crow had landed on what had been the shortest path. He'd known they were fighting as soon as he'd felt the throbbing from their birthmarks. Whoever they had been fighting, however, had been defeated, if the feeling he'd felt had been correct.

The biggest shocker that had nearly made him lose control of his D-Wheel was when the throbbing started up again – someone was trying to call the power of the Crimson Dragon. It couldn't have been Aki or Crow – they had already finished. And the throbbing sensation hadn't felt like Jack or Ruka.

Rua had evolved into a Signer.

He was happy for Rua; the other deserved it, with how much he had grown in the past couple of years and how his sole desire in life was to protect Ruka. Perhaps the Crimson Dragon had responded to that desire by giving Rua the power to back it up..

A slight chill went through him as he remembered that the Crimson Dragon's power usually didn't activate without a Signer calling forth – yet when Rua had been blown off the bridge during his and Ruka's battle with Lucciano, it had responded immediately to protect him. Had Rua always been destined to become a Signer?

Yusei was cut out of his thoughts when Dark Glass responded to his query. "We're almost there," Dark Glass said, without turning around.

Frowning with determination, Yusei accelerated until he had caught up to Dark Glass, his eyes flickering over briefly to study the other duelist. "Why are you helping us out?"

He had a lot of questions for Dark Glass. He knew absolutely nothing about him – his name, his history, his age, nothing. The other duelist had appeared out of nowhere, all while knowing about the three Emperors of Yliaster – about Aporia – with the full intentions of teaching him about pushing away his fears, controlling his speed, and Accel Synchro.

Not only that, but somehow, despite the fact that all of the Momentum in the city had stopped working other than the Old Momentum in reverse, Dark Glass's D-Wheel was still working fine. He knew that Team Ragnarok's was still working due to their Rune Eyes, and his, Jack's, Crow's, and Aki's were working fine due to them being Signers (Ruka's Duel Board would work, too, but it wasn't as fast as a D-Wheel). And right when they'd needed help as Rainbow Bridge Bifrost disappeared, Dark Glass appeared to give them a slipstream. They all knew that Aki had just barely made it with the help of his slipstream; without it, she would have never made it at all.

There had been nothing malicious about the actions in the least. Sure, he had been a strict and firm taskmaster, but there had been nothing but pride in his voice when Yusei had finally achieved Accel Synchro, and when he had been attacked by Placido's Ghosts, he'd appeared out of nowhere to help him, fight the Ghosts, and distract Placido until Yusei discovered Accel Synchro and was capable of defeating him.

In short, Yusei considered him his teacher, someone that he could look up to and learn from. The older duelist – he came off as older, even if he didn't know his age – knew a lot, but had taken Yusei under his wing. There had been very few people like that he could idolize – offhand, he could only name his parents, his foster-mother Martha , and Rex Godwin, who had inspired the residents of the Satellite despite his later actions – and Dark Glass was a welcome addition to his short list of idols.

But that didn't mean he wasn't _curious_ about why Dark Glass wanted to assist them. The man had claimed he had lost some critical memories after they'd boarded the Arc Cradle. The statement rang a bell in Yusei's mind, but given how much time he had to think on it, he pushed it aside. He could worry about it later.

"And…" he continued, when Dark Glass didn't respond, "Back when you scanned this place, how did you know so much about its layout?"

"I do not know," Dark Glass said finally, his voice quiet. "I do not know, but I know this place." He turned his head to glance at the walls. "And… I feel that the answer to that question lies ahead."

"At the Planetary Gear?" Yusei mused, turning to face forward again as he tried to put the pieces together. "Crow, Jack, and the others all fought against Duelists protecting the Planetary Gears. That must mean-"

"-There will be an opponent we must face when we get there," finished Dark Glass. "Defeating that opponent will open our path to the Support Gear. And…"

"I'll understand what you said?" Yusei asked.

"Yes." Dark Glass nodded, then lifted his head slightly when he saw a light at the end of the tunnel. "We're here!"

Yusei took a deep breath, focusing on arriving at his destination. He had no idea who they were going to face there. Hadn't Aporia told them that he had met three others in the future? Was it possibly one of those three that they were going to face? It made sense; three friends, three Planetary Gears. But one of those companions had been Z-ONE, the leader, the man they had met in the other dimension that had given him the impression he was staring straight into his soul and knew everything. And from Yusei's own experiences, the leader was always faced last, after everything else had been done.

No, it was likely that the leader, Z-ONE, would be fought at the Support Gear, and that the people at the three Planetary Gears were Aporia's two friends and Sherry, who had joined Z-ONE. The question was, which one of them was it going to be?

He would soon find out, he thought, as he and Dark Glass approached the Gear and stopped their D-Wheels before dismounting to look at the Gear itself.

The rainbow energy of Momentum was spinning the Planetary Gear in a reverse direction, and Yusei took a deep breath. "Where's our opponent? Where's the enemy we have to defeat before we can do anything?"

No sooner had he said that, the roar of a D-Wheel reached their ears. Both Dark Glass and Yusei turned in the direction that it was coming from and took several steps back as a familiar, large white D-Wheel rode onto the scene, skidding to a halt not too far from the two of them. But it was the figure on the D-Wheel that made Yusei's eyes widen.

"Paradox?!"

A small smile crossed Paradox's lips as he climbed off of the D-Wheel. "You sound like you were not expecting me, Yusei Fudo."

"But…" Yusei thought back to when he had first met the man – the man who had claimed that he was from an apocalyptic future, who had had strange abilities such as his D-Wheel morphing and being able to merge with his monster, and who had wanted to destroy Duel Monsters to prevent the future from being ruined.

It sounded a lot like Aporia.

Suddenly, he was no longer surprised that Paradox was guarding one of the Gears. That meant that one of Aporia's friends had been Paradox, and the other two guardians had likely been Sherry and another one of Aporia's friends.

"Weren't you destroyed in the past, when I went back in time to retrieve Stardust Dragon?!" Yusei asked him.

Paradox nodded. "I was – but I have been revived, to be given one more chance to carry out my grand experiment."

"By Z-ONE," he realized. If Paradox had been revived, then had Aporia as well? There was no way to find out except by defeating Paradox and finding his friends again.

 _Yusei Fudo… I couldn't stop the promotion of Duel Monsters by Maximillian Pegasus, due to the interference of you, Judai Yuki, and Yugi Mutou. But this time, things will turn out differently._

That was a sore spot for Paradox – his defeat at their hands. He had been so close… stealing Stardust Dragon from Yusei to use in his "Sin" Deck had been a cinch. Stealing two more dragons for his deck several years in the past had been easy, too, and even Judai with his Elemental Hero Neos hadn't been too much of a match until Yusei had interfered. Even preventing Duel Monsters from becoming huge by killing Pegasus at a promotional event further in the past had worked, too – again, until Yusei had interfered, and he, Judai, and Yugi had teamed up to defeat him in a duel.

But this time, Judai and Yugi were not around to help Yusei.

"I am the one that is guarding this Planetary Gear," Paradox said finally. "If you want to stop the Gear, you will have to defeat me in a duel. But unlike last time, things will be different. The first experiment was merely a trial."

 _That's right_ , Yusei thought. _Judai and Yugi aren't here_. He could just imagine their faces now, grinning down at him and telling him to do his best. Yes, he was not as close to them as he was with Jack, Crow, Aki, Rua, Ruka, and Bruno. But they had been his friends, and if they were still alive (he refused to believe they had died in the Zero Reverse), then he could imagine Judai telling him to kick Paradox's butt, while Yugi encouraged him to fight for the future.

"This time, you are fighting me alone, Yusei Fudo!" Paradox challenged.

"Oh, is he now?"

Both Yusei and Paradox turned as Dark Glass stepped up beside Yusei, facing Paradox. With Paradox having appeared, Yusei had almost forgotten that he had been there.

"You…" Yusei started, but then paused, remembering that he didn't know his name.

Dark Glass faced Paradox, one hand on his hip and that familiar, cocky smirk on his lips. "What did you think that I was here for, Paradox? To watch?"

Paradox stared at him for a few seconds, the only signs of surprise on his face the slight widening of his eyes and the thinning of his lips. "…You are… why?"

"Because I need to remind you of just what it is we are doing." At those words, Yusei looked up at the taller Duelist, just as startled, as Dark Glass turned towards him and placed a companionable hand on his shoulder. "Yusei. You will not fight this duel alone." He smirked suddenly. "Besides, I still have a few things left to show you."

"So, you are betraying your comrades?" Paradox asked Dark Glass, his vocal tone never changing.

 _What?_ Yusei looked between the two of them. _Is he saying that Dark Glass was like him, Aporia, and Z-ONE? But if that is the case, then why has he been helping us?_

Dark Glass smirked. "No. I am merely doing what I am supposed to do. Yusei. Time is running short."

Nodding, Yusei ran back to his D-Wheel and climbed on, starting it up, as Dark Glass did the same. Paradox let out a huff of irritation as he did the same, starting up the D-Wheel and circling around the Gear as the other two followed him.

However, no sooner had they started when the entire world faded away, revealing a twisting road made up of rainbow light circling around a sun, with stars dotting the sky.

"What?!" Yusei stared, keeping the D-Wheel steady. "Where is this?!"

"Our track," Paradox explained. "This is where we will hold our Riding Duel. As you can see, we are circling a star. Whoever loses this duel will be blown off of the path to fall into the star."

"Killing them," Dark Glass said, his voice clipped and cool as always. "But that is not going to happen to me or Yusei."

Yusei bit his lip. While he would much rather duel with the rest of Team 5Ds, his close friends, by his side, that wouldn't be happening. He knew that he could trust Jack and Crow with his life; the three of them had grown up together and had won the W.R.G.P. together. Aki and the twins were friends he had made last year, and they had grown to be strong Duelists. Bruno… Bruno and he were like a fish and water, but Bruno was not on the Arc Cradle (he hoped the other got away from Neo Domino City in time) nor had he built his own deck. Still, Bruno had proven time and time again that he was a master Duelist, and he claimed to remember working on D-Wheels and dueling. Perhaps he had been a Pro Leaguer at some point?

But Dark Glass was his teacher. They might not have dueled together as a team, but they knew each other's decks and strategies (for the most part – Dark Glass seemed to still have a few tricks up his sleeve that he hadn't revealed) and could assist each other should things go that way.

"I understand," he said, speeding up so that he was tailing just behind Dark Glass and Paradox. "Let's go! Paradox!"

Activating Speed World 2, he listened to the computer voice on his D-Wheel say "Duel Mode On" as he drew his first five cards, but Paradox wasn't done speaking just yet.

"As this will be a three-way duel," he started, drawing five cards, "Whoever has not taken their first turn may not receive a direct attack from another player."

"Fine by me!" Dark Glass said as he drew his own first five cards.

"Riding Duel, acceleration! **_DUEL!"_**


	2. Antinomy

_I tagged this with 'cliche eyeroll worthy cards' on AO3 for a reason, and you're about to see why._

* * *

As the three of them rounded the first corner, it was no contest as to the turn order – Paradox had been far ahead of them both, and between Yusei and Dark Glass, Dark Glass's D-Wheel was much faster.

"I get first turn!" Paradox declared, drawing a card from his deck.

Yusei grimaced; was Paradox going to pull the same thing that he had during their first duel, and summon "Sin World"?

Wait, he realized, he can't activate "Sin World"! "Sin World" is a Field-spell card, and we already have a Field Spell in play – "Speed World 2". It can't be destroyed or replaced with any other Field Spells.

But that made it even more worrisome. What sort of tricks did Paradox have up his sleeve if he couldn't use "Sin World" to summon his "Sin" monsters?

"I summon 'Sin Sprite', in defense!" Paradox declared, watching as a tiny, grey dragon hatchling appeared on the field and then turned blue and curled on itself, before drawing one card. "When I summon this card successfully, I can draw one card. Turn end."

Sin Sprite… I've never seen that card before. Yusei frowned. It looks weak, with only 100 Attack and 500 Defense, and it's not a Tuner Monster. Just what is Paradox planning with it?

"So that's all?" Dark Glass said, grinning as he turned a corner, Yusei right behind him. "My turn!" he declared, drawing a card.

But he didn't even get an opportunity to make a play as soon as their Speed Counters went up by 1, as Paradox grinned.

"Trap card, open! 'Sin Dimension'!"

"Sin Dimension?!" Yusei asked, staring at the image of the bluish-black, star-filled image.

"That is right. This is a Permanent Trap, whose name is treated as 'Sin World'," Paradox explained.

"What?" Dark Glass seemed surprised, too.

"Sin World…" Of course. Yusei was surprised, but he knew that he shouldn't be. Of course Paradox would find a replacement for 'Sin World' if he was incapable of using the card in this particular duel.

"This card," the blond continued, "cannot be sent to the Graveyard while it is active on the field. Also, I am allowed to add one 'Sin' monster to my hand each turn instead of drawing, as well as discard three monsters in my hand or deck to summon their corresponding 'Sin' counterpart from my hand or deck. However, I can only do this three times in the Duel and no more."

If he gets his Sin monsters out… Yusei gritted his teeth. He had only just barely defeated Paradox last time. Would he and Dark Glass have the same problem?

Paradox searched and pulled six cards out of his deck, sliding three of them into the 'discard' area of his Duel Disk. "I discard Red Eyes Black Dragon, Blue Eyes White Dragon, and Green Eyes Grey Dragon to Special Summon their 'Sin' counterparts!"

Wincing, Yusei gripped his D-Wheel tightly to avoid from being blown off the path from the summon as the corrupted versions of the three dragons appeared. He hadn't heard of Green Eyes before, but it looked almost no different from Blue Eyes and Red Eyes, and didn't seem to have any special effects… perhaps it was from the same series?

"You always did like summoning those first, Paradox…" Dark Glass murmured.

His eyes flickered back towards Dark Glass, whose mouth was set in a thin line, but the other didn't look worried. He still wasn't sure right now if he could completely trust him to suddenly not jump ship, given that he and Paradox seemed to know each other.

"But, it's still my turn," the visored Duelist said, placing a card down and watching as a humanoid in a black jumpsuit and light blue armor appeared. "First, I will summon Tech Genus Striker. If another player has monsters on the field and I don't, I can Special Summon him from my hand. Next, when I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster to the field, I can summon Tech Genus Werewolf through its ability!" The bipedal wolfman appeared, growling. "Finally, I normal summon Tech Genus Cyber Magician." A small mage dressed in blueish robes and helmet appeared, as Yusei's eyes widened.

He'd seen a similar strategy before – when Dark Glass had first shown him Accel Synchro. Was it possible he was setting up for an Accel Synchro again?

"I am going to tune my Level 3 Tech Genus Werewolf with my Level 2 Tech Genus Striker!" Dark Glass announced, as what appeared to be a computer screen examined the data of Werewolf as Striker disappeared. "Limiter Removal, Level 5! Regulator Open! Thruster Warm up, OK! Up Link All Clear! Go! Synchro Summon! Come on! Tech Genus Hyper Librarian!"

"He didn't use this monster last time…" Yusei mused, watching as a man robed in white with a cape and carrying a datapad appeared. What sort of effects did this monster have?

"Next, with Cyber Magician's ability to use a Synchro material from the hand, I will tune my Level 4 Rush Rhino from my hand with my Level 1 Cyber Magician!" Dark Glass said. "Limiter Removal, Level 5! Booster Launch, OK! Inclination, OK! Ground Support! All Clear! Go! Synchro Summon! Come on! Tech Genus Wonder Magician!"

Unlike the last one, Yusei had seen the red-robed, pink-haired magician before. This monster had been key when Dark Glass had done his Accel Synchro Summon, as it was a Synchro Tuner – just like his own Formula Synchron.

"Due to Tech Genus Hyper Librarian's effect," Dark Glass said, as the Librarian opened his datapad up, "I can draw one hand every time a Synchro Summon is successful." He drew a card, and placed it face-down in his Spell and Trap Zone. "I place one card face-down, and end my turn."

Both of them started off strong… Yusei mused, looking back. Paradox already has four 'Sin' monsters on the field, and he has two Synchro Monsters, one which can be used as a Tuner. Could he possibly compare to them? But there was nothing to it but to go forward and believe in his cards.

Yusei glanced down at his cards, drawing. "My turn!" He narrowed his eyes at seeing what card he drawn. Yes! With this, maybe I can…

He took one card and slipped it in the Cemetery zone. "By sending Clear Effector to the Cemetery, I can Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron to the field!" The tuner monster appeared, holding its pistols up as it peered at Paradox underneath its cowboy hat. "Next, I summon Junk Synchron! When Junk Synchron is successfully summoned on the field, I can summon a monster from my Cemetery. I choose the Clear Effector I discarded earlier!" As soon as the Tuner monster appeared, he reached for the card that had come out of his Cemetery, as the orange metal man jumped into a hole and pulled out another monster, a female with delicate jewelry and brown hair.

Surely this combo was going to work. He played a card in the Spell/Trap Zone, and two knives appeared. "Then, I activate the Speed Spell – Cost Down. I can select one monster in my hand and lower its level by two. I choose the Junk Servant in my hand!" As soon as he said that, an image of Junk Servant's card appeared and the knives flew and stabbed two of the Level globes on the card, making it Level 2. "Also, when I have a Junk monster on the field, I can summon this Junk Servant from my hand!"

"Four monsters…" Dark Glass muttered as a small, red, orange, and black monster with one blue eye appeared, turning his head just slightly so that he could see Yusei's field. "Well done, Yusei." The other was advancing faster than Dark Glass had hoped, if he was able to set up all the materials for what he thought he was. And his suspicions were soon confirmed as Yusei spoke his next words.

"I'm going to tune my Level 2 Clear Effector with my Level 5 Quickdraw Synchron!" Yusei declared, as Quickdraw Synchron burst into green rings and Clear Effector passed through them. "Gathering feelings will now become a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Blaze on, Nitro Warrior!"

Nitro Warrior, a giant, green monster with a green cannon for a thorax posed as Yusei spoke his next set of words. "Next, I am going to tune my Level 2 Junk Servant with my Level 3 Junk Synchron! Gathering stars will call upon a new force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Show yourself, Junk Warrior!" The blue and white monster, with deep red eyes set upon its mask and a white scarf trailing from its back, slid into play next to Nitro Warrior as Dark Glass smiled.

"Hyper Librarian's effect activates!" the masked duelist called, reaching for his deck. "When a monster is Synchro Summoned successfully while he is on the field, I get to draw a card from my deck! Therefore, I draw two cards!" After he'd drawn the two cards, he started to speed up, passing Paradox quickly.

"This is…" Yusei knew. Was he going to perform an Accel Synchro on his turn again? He'd done that last time, though the only difference in his plays were the Synchro materials used and that he'd had Power Gladiator instead of Hyper Librarian. But both of them were the same level…

"Clear Mind! Limiter Removal, Level Ten! Main Bus Booster Control! All Clear! Infinite Power, Here Release itself and Beyond the Dimension! Go!" Dark Glass shouted.

"Just what do you think you are doing-" Paradox wasn't able to get the full question out before Dark Glass and his monsters vanished in a flash of light. "He disappeared…"

"No," Yusei said. "Look now!"

As soon as he spoke, Dark Glass reappeared. "Accel Synchro! Come On! Tech Genus Blade Gunner!" His Wonder Magician and his Hyper Librarian were gone, instead replaced by the green and orange robotic monster that Yusei knew was one of his best monsters.

"Impossible!" Paradox seemed shocked. "You Synchro Summoned on another player's turn!?"

"Yes, Paradox! Accel Synchro Summon!" Dark Glass was grinning as he slowed down just long enough to be riding just before Yusei was.

"What are you doing, revealing your special method of playing to someone else?!" Paradox sounded downright irritated, slowing down just enough so that he was beside Dark Glass and glaring at him.

"I can show Yusei whatever I feel fit," Dark Glass said calmly, not at all intimidated by Paradox. "Yusei has infinite potential. That power… I am supposed to bring it out. Paradox. We never had any chance of changing this world. You, of all people, should know that."

"I set one card face-down, and end my turn," Yusei said, playing the card as he sped up a little bit so that he was just barely behind the two of them. "Do you two know each other?" He asked. "Paradox, and- um. You?"

"…" Paradox turned towards Dark Glass. "After all this, you never told him your name? So be it. Yusei Fudo. You already know a little of where I come from. Allow me to elaborate."

Dark Glass was silent. Yusei's eyes flickered towards him, trying to comprehend that this man, his teacher, knew Paradox, and likely knew Z-One and Aporia by extension. He didn't know how much of Paradox's story he could believe – he'd thought the other had been lying, but he really was from a destroyed future – but he would listen.

"I was young at the time," Paradox said, wistfully. "I wasn't a hero like Z-ONE was, or a child unable to cope like Aporia, or a Pro Duelist like Antinomy had been."

He knew about Aporia's past, and he was a bit surprised to hear that people had considered Z-ONE a hero, but the third name was foreign to him. "Antinomy…?"

Paradox silently pointed at Dark Glass.

"Your name is… Antinomy?" Yusei said, tilting his head as he sped around another corner.

"Yes. That is my real name," he said with a nod.

"But, how come you never told us?" Yusei asked, frowning.

"The first time, you didn't ask me for it," Dark Glass – Antinomy – replied. "The next few times… I was having a few memory problems, so I couldn't tell you. By the time I remembered, we were both quite busy."

Memory problems… yes, Antinomy had mentioned them before, hadn't he? But enemy or not, he shouldn't have interrupted Paradox. "My apologies. You were speaking."

"It is fine," Paradox said, closing his eyes. He wasn't offended; it was impossible for him to be offended. And then he began his story.


	3. Paradox's Bonds

_Paradox gets some backstory, or I tried to give him some at least._

* * *

He'd been a young adult at the time, living alone.

He hadn't been a former hero like Z-ONE, a Pro Duelist like Antinomy, or a kid unable to cope with the changes thrown his way like Aporia. He, Paradox, had been an ordinary man from a continent that had been attacked very late – America.

For as long as he could remember, he had never had a family to call his own and had grown up an orphan, just barely looked after until he could age out of the system and stop leeching resources. But he had found great comfort in two things – Duel Monsters, and the church. At the church, no one cared that he was poor, young, and parentless; he was a person of faith like everyone else present, and it only further strengthened his beliefs.

He'd been no Pro Duelist, as he'd noted earlier, but he still ran a modest Fairy-type/LIGHT Deck that he took great pride in. He would challenge other people, sometimes losing, but mostly winning, and taking joy from all of that. Synchro Summoning was something that he deeply enjoyed and tried to make the most of. Still, he knew of legends such as Yugi Mutou, Judai Yuki, and Yusei Fudo, and how they were capable of saving the world with mysterious powers. Yugi, with the soul of the Nameless Pharaoh. Judai, with the strength of Yubel and the Supreme King. Yusei, with the heart of the Crimson Dragon. What would they be like together?

Oh, if only he'd had the opportunity to see the three of them together, but no living person in history could claim such a thing, and he was certainly not going to be the first. But he had been fairly content, if not happy, with his life.

* * *

Yusei had not been expecting that. "You admired me?" he finally asked, fully aware of the irony of Paradox's words.

Paradox closed his eyes and gave a single nod. "Yes. There was not a Duelist alive that didn't know of your exploits. Anybody that had entered the dueling world knew of the three legendary duelists, and admired them, including myself and Antinomy. Antinomy was especially interested in the Accel Synchro method that you had developed, and took great delight in showing off that he could accomplish it in tournaments."

Shocked, Yusei stared at Antinomy, who didn't say anything. The other had admired him as well…?

"My turn," Paradox finally said, pausing his story. "Instead of drawing, I will use Sin Dimension's effect to put the Tuner Monster 'Sin Antithesis Gear' from my Deck to my hand."

"!" A Gear-series card. If it was anything like Sin Parallel Gear, then Yusei knew that he and Antinomy were in big trouble.

"I will summon Sin Parallel Gear to the field," Paradox said, watching as the monster, shaped much like a black and yellow screw with arms and a gear for a head, appeared. "When I have a Gear monster on the field, I can special summon Sin Syllogic Gear to the field." He waited for the similar monster, this one black and red, appeared.

This is bad! Yusei realized. Sin Parallel Gear is used to summon Sin Paradox Dragon… I would believe that this one is designed to do something similar!

Yusei's worst fears were confirmed when Paradox announced, "I will tune my Level 7 Sin Red Eyes Black Dragon with my Level 3 Sin Syllogic Gear! Born from threshold of the dimension of Darkness, time to lower the curtain of destruction on the stage that surpasses time and space! Synchro Summon! Sin Paradox Dragon!"

That monster had caused him so much difficulty last time… he never would have beaten it with Yugi and Judai's help.

"Next, I will tune my Level 8 Sin Blue Eyes White Dragon with my Level 2 Sin Parallel Gear! Born from threshold of the dimension of Space, time to lower the curtain of destruction on the stage that surpasses darkness and time! Synchro Summon! Sin Aporia Dragon!"

Sin Aporia Dragon?! Paradox and Aporia… does that mean…? It can't be! Those cards were based off of Paradox and his comrades? It was possible then that the other valued bonds… Yusei blankly stared at the dragon, not entirely dissimilar to how Sin Paradox Dragon was other than it was mostly pale grey and red instead of black and yellow. Both dragons let out fierce roars.

"Sin Paradox Dragon's power is now 8000 due to having another Sin Monster on the field. And when I successfully Synchro Summon a Sin monster," Paradox continued, playing a card and causing a blue Gear monster not entirely dissimilar to Parallel and Syllogic, "I can Special Summon Sin Antithesis Gear from my hand! "Finally, I will tune my Level 8 Sin Green Eyes Grey Dragon with my Level 2 Sin Antithesis Gear. Born from threshold of the dimension of Time, time to lower the curtain of destruction that surpasses darkness and space! Synchro Summon! Sin Antinomy Dragon!"

Another one?! Is this one… Yusei slowly turned to Antinomy, who was gritting his teeth as the third Dragon, this time color schemed blue and dark grey, took its place beside the other two. I knew it. For all that Paradox mocked the bonds I had created with Yugi and Judai, he has his own that he can't seem to let go of…

"You intend to destroy the two of us with the avatars that Z-ONE gave you of us?" Antinomy asked, watching as Sin Paradox Dragon's ATK rose to 12000.

"I was happy," Paradox said in response. "Then everything changed."

* * *

Then the Meklord Emperors had come.

They'd blown to pieces the little joy that the young Paradox had taken in life, leaving him and countless others scrambling for survival. He'd been in church at the time, and the only reason he had survived was because the attack that had shaken the building had trapped him underneath the image of the Savior.

God had protected him, it seemed. Surely God had other plans for him?

The constant attacks by the Meklord Emperors left him battle-worn and weary, as he tried to remain hidden and to protect other people. He had to keep others safe, too, even if they were ill and dying.

One by one, every single person that he met fell ill and died. Paradox himself grew weaker and hungrier with each passing day, and yet he was still able to hold on. Hope, he knew, and faith that one day God would intervene and make things better again. But God didn't intervene. Eventually, he felt sure that he was one of the last people alive.

When he'd first met Z-ONE, accompanied by Antinomy, he'd regarded them with a sort of apathy; he couldn't grow close to them because he was sure that one day, they too would die and leave him alone. He had always been alone from the start – how had he not realized that before?

Yet Z-ONE had approached him, and held his hand out. "We need to find a way to save this world," Z-ONE had said. "I am Z-ONE, and this is Antinomy. We have been working for a few years to try to find a solution, but we are only two people. Will you help us?"

He vaguely recognized Antinomy, as Pro Duelist "Technical Genius" Johnny, famous for being one of the few that could utilize Accel Synchro. Z-ONE, though his face was covered with a helmet, had looked unnervingly like Yusei Fudo, a man that he had admired. But that was impossible, right? Yusei Fudo had to have died, or he would have stopped the Meklord Emperors already. So Z-ONE couldn't be Yusei Fudo.

He was but a common man, and so were Z-ONE and Antinomy. Still, three heads were better than one, and he quickly agreed to try to help them.

It wasn't long after that he chose his codename, Paradox, and forsook his original name. As far as he was concerned, the person he had been had died a long time ago, when the Meklord Emperors had attacked.

Later, Paradox surmised that it was a good thing that he had joined up with Z-ONE. For not too long afterwards, a second Zero Reverse happened, this time affecting the entire planet. Having retreated to Z-ONE's private laboratory to search for a solution, he had been relatively protected. After the disaster, he had glanced down forlornly at the world several times, wishing that he could go back and change history – cause a paradox, as it were.

He'd proposed the plan to Z-ONE; this world was beyond saving, and there were clearly no more survivors. They would find a way to travel back in time, and alter things so that this never happened. Z-ONE and Antinomy agreed with him, and so they had begun work. However, they were all quickly growing old, and one day, the three of them left the Arc Cradle, their home, to remind themselves of why they were doing this.

In retrospect, Paradox had been extremely uncomfortable when the man they'd met, Lucciano José Placido, or Aporia as he later called himself, had started crying when he'd seen the three of them. He had apparently been wandering for countless years since the Zero Reverse, trying to find another living creature, let alone a human being.

With Aporia's help, work had progressed faster, but they all knew that they were going to pass away soon. Z-ONE had been upgrading himself to become more and more mechanical due to being compatible with it. The rest of them didn't have that luxury; their bodies rejected the very idea of machinery supporting their lives.

As he'd feared, he was the first to fall ill, only staying alive as long as he did due to Z-ONE's desperation not to lose any more people. He'd asked his friend to let him go, to let him rest in peace until the time came that they were able to change to the future and show how the world had sinned – and prevent them from doing thus.

"Allow me to become your servant," he requested. "Antinomy had an excellent idea – place our minds in robot bodies. When you're ready, send me back. I will do anything to carry out our grand experiment with the world."

Z-ONE had agreed, and Paradox closed his eyes in his weary old human body for the last time, and then for the first time, opened his eyes in a new, improved robotic body. He resembled himself when younger, with a few embellishments that clearly suggested he was no longer human.

As the last man of the church, he'd requested a special deck – a deck that focused on showing mankind that everyone was capable of falling into sin… and a deck that could draw from the strength of his comrades, the three people that he had grown the closest to.

His wish had been granted before Z-ONE had sent him back in time.

* * *

"And that, Yusei Fudo, was when the three of you interfered," Paradox said coolly. "Battle! Sin Paradox Dragon, attack his Junk Warrior!" The dragon roared and fired a blast of energy at the monster.

"Trap Card, open! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!"

"Tch. That card…" Paradox grumbled as the scarecrow blocked the attack and reset itself on the field, but didn't let it phase him. "Sin Antinomy Dragon, attack Junk Warrior!" The monster gathered energy in its mouth, firing it as Junk Warrior. Yusei gritted his teeth, preparing to grab a card to negate it when help came – from Antinomy.

"Trap card, open! Magnet Target!" Antinomy declared. "When another player declares an attack, I can change the target to a Machine-type monster on the field! The monster I choose is Tech Genus Blade Gunner!" He impassively watched as Sin Antinomy dragon fired a blast of darkness at his Accel Synchro Monster.

"What?!" Yusei shouted. "But Tech Genus Blade Gunner has 3700 ATK!" Compared to Sin Antinomy Dragon's 4000 ATK, it would be no contest.

The visored duelist smirked. "I activate Magnet Trap's other affect. When I redirect a monster's attack, I can switch their ATK until the end of the Damage Calculation. The weaker monster will not be destroyed, but you will still take battle damage!"

With the switch in attack, Tech Genus Blade Gunner was now stronger. The green monster batted the ball of energy back at the dragon, causing it to stumble back and hit Paradox in the backlash. First blood, as Paradox's Life dipped from 4000 to 3700.

"Antinomy, you…" Paradox looked irritated for the first time, and his voice seemed to gain some heat when he shouted, "Sin Aporia Dragon, attack his Tech Genus Blade Gunner!"

Paradox's final dragon roared, and fired a burst of energy at Antinomy's monster. Antinomy braced himself for the damage, but Yusei was already moving.

"I Special Summon the Synchron Believer in my hand to negate one attack on the field!" Yusei declared, slapping the card down on his D-Wheel and watching as the monster, which resembled a sage sitting down cross-legged in robes, dove in front of Tech Genus Blade Gunner and formed a shield around the two of them, blocking the attack. "I can only Special Summon it when an attack has been declared on the field!"

"All of my attacks have been blocked, but… " Paradox pushed a button on his Duel Runner, causing the image of a trap with two shattered cards to appear. "Trap card, open. Double Jeopardy."

"!" Both Yusei and Antinomy look startled as Paradox explains the card's effect to them.

"I can only activate this card when a monster is Special Summoned during the Battle Phase," Paradox explained. "It allows me to destroy two cards on the field, and it cannot be negated by monster effects. I select Yusei Fudo's Junk Warrior, and Antinomy's Tech Genus Blade Gunner!"

"Junk Warrior!" Yusei skidded as the shockwave of the monsters' destruction hit him, before managing to steady himself.

Antinomy gritted his teeth, drawing a card. "When Tech Genus Blade Gunner is destroyed, I can draw one card from my deck. Also, when Tech Genus Blade Gunner is destroyed, I can Special Summon the materials I used to Synchro Summon it. Come back! Tech Genus Wonder Magician! Tech Genus Hyper Librarian!"

So that's why, that time, he didn't let me destroy his monster that time and continue the duel… Yusei realized as the two monsters showed themselves. He wanted to surprise me with this effect… is he going to Accel Synchro Summon again? Paradox failed to destroy his material monsters after all – but Paradox would be expecting that, wouldn't he?

Paradox's lip curled. "Turn end."

"My turn!" Antinomy said, drawing another card.

"Sin Antinomy Dragon's effect activates!" Paradox declared suddenly, causing both Yusei and Antinomy to nearly jump. "Any player that does not control a Sin monster must discard a card or take 1000 damage to their Life Points during their Standby Phase."

"1000 damage?" Yusei's eyes widened. That was nearly a quarter of their total life.

Antinomy narrowed his eyes, picking up "Tech Genus Cyber Elf" from his hand and sending it to the Cemetery. "Fine, then I send Tech Genus Cyber Elf to the Cemetery due to your dragon's effect. Next, by reducing Tech Genus Wonder Magician's ATK by 1000, I can Special Summon the Tuner Monster Tech Genus Gear Zombie from my hand!"

The zombie-type monster cackled, as a red energy surrounded Tech Genus Wonder Magician, causing her to wince as her Life Points dropped, but looking no less determined. Antinomy's head flickered over to Yusei.

"Yusei. I need to borrow your strength. In return, you can borrow mine later," Antinomy said.

"What do you mean…?" Yusei asked, but when Antinomy's gaze turned towards his Synchron Believer, Yusei's eyes widened and realized what the other wanted. He nodded. "Fine, do what you wish."

"Thank you, Yusei," Antinomy nodded. "I'm going to tune the Level 1 Synchron Believer on Yusei's field with my Level 1 Tech Genus Gear Zombie! Limiter Removal, Level Two! Regulator Open! Navigation, All Clear! Go! Synchro Summon! Come On, Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly!" The monster was small and unimpressive compared to the rest of Antinomy's monsters so far: it was a reddish, robotic dragonfly, with a propeller for wings. However, Antinomy wasn't done. "Due to Hyper Librarian's effect, when a monster is successfully Synchro Summoned, I can draw one card." He drew a card, showing it to both Yusei and Paradox before slapping it down on his D-Wheel. "The card I drew was Tech Genus Drill Fish! Come, Tech Genus Drill Fish!" What appeared was a red narwhal with a yellow horn, and it gave a growl.

"What good is summoning a monster with 100 ATK going to do?" Paradox said, looking insulted. "Antinomy! Why are you doing this?"

That's right – why is he doing this…? Yusei wondered. Ever since he had learned that Antinomy had been comrades with Paradox, Aporia, and Z-ONE, it baffled him that Antinomy was fighting against them and instead helping him. Yes, Antinomy had admired his future self, it looked like, but so had Paradox, and Aporia had seen him as a threat. Both Aporia and Paradox fought against him. It didn't explain Antinomy's actions.

"..." Antinomy bowed his head. "Turn end."

"Antinomy…" The blue-eyed duelist turned to look at his 'teacher', puzzled.

"Yusei. Paradox," he said. "Listen. Listen and you can decide for yourself why I am doing what I am."


	4. Delta Accel Synchro

Like they knew, he had been a Pro Duelist in the Pro Leagues. His real name was Johnny, and he had been extremely popular for using the method of Accel Synchro – and being a champion of nearly every tournament that he had entered. He loved Synchro Summoning.

So when Johnny had been told that he was no longer allowed to Synchro Summon, he was both angry and devastated; that had been his key method to winning, and how could humanity advance when they couldn't Synchro Summon? Yusei Fudo himself had heavily relied on it!

* * *

"Of course," Antinomy laughed, "Yusei, you had never done a Fusion Summon in my time! Imagine how surprised and pleased I was when you evolved past relying on the same strategies and Fusion Summoned!"

"He Fusion Summoned?" Paradox stared at Yusei for a moment, and then turned back to Antinomy.

"You were watching?" Yusei frowned; he hadn't seen Antinomy in the crowd, but it was very likely that with everything that had been going on, he had missed him in the crowd. For all he knew, Antinomy had dressed up in something other than the only outfit Yusei had seen him in.

"Yes, he did, and of course I was, Yusei – I was interested in seeing how you dealt with anything that was thrown your way," the visored duelist pointed out. "You had never Fusion Summoned in my time, ever, so I thought that monster was your way of breaking free from your limits."

"I… hadn't?" Yusei frowned, trying to ponder what that meant for him in this timeline, before Antinomy continued his story.

* * *

Then, the Meklord Emperors came.

It was a miracle that Johnny had survived, given how much of the population was gone, and he'd wandered about with his D-Wheel. But the death and destruction, along with the belief that he had helped bring this about by Synchro Summoning and Accel Synchro Summoning, had given him a fatalist view.

So when a Meklord Emperor Granel appeared in front of him and aimed its weapon at him, Johnny knelt down, closing his eyes and hoping that it was a quick death.

However, a blast from a weapon from a building above him destroyed the Grannel, and he'd been saved from certain death – by Z-ONE.

Like he had with Paradox, Z-ONE offered him the opportunity to help fix the world, and, wanting to repent for what he'd believed had been something that he had done, he'd agreed. He adopted the name Antinomy, and tried various things with Z-ONE and later also with Paradox and Aporia.

Paradox had been the first of their friends to fall ill, and it had reminded Antinomy of his mortality. So he suggested the idea of android bodies for the three of them, where Z-ONE could put their minds in those bodies so that they can continue and never have to worry about aging. The procedure was done on the dying Paradox, though not long afterwards, Antinomy, too, lay dying.

* * *

"Z-ONE told me that he needed my strength to save the world – that I would be integral to it," Antinomy said. "My mission once I was sent here was to track you down, Yusei, and drive your evolution."

"But why?" Yusei asked, turning a sharp corner on his D-Wheel. "And why are you helping me now?"

Antinomy sped up briefly, though not as if he was going to do an Accel Synchro Summon. "The quicker you evolve, the quicker that Aporia's Circuit would be completed," he said finally. "That goal has been achieved. But after that, I feel you have more potential than Z-ONE realizes. I believe that you can save the world, Yusei, and that you can do it without Neo Domino City being destroyed. You've grown faster than you ever did in mine and Paradox's timeline – it took you years to learn Accel Synchro, when you mastered it not long after I showed it to you. The time that you Fusion Summoned after never doing it before. What else are you capable of, if you are pushed the right way? I wanted to see for myself."

"Antinomy…" Yusei trailed off, shocked but touched. The other believed in him that much?

"My friends might think that they are being betrayed by me," Antinomy said, turning his gaze to Paradox. "But I'm only working towards our goal my way. The future of destruction by the Meklord Emperors and the second Zero Reverse will not come about. I believe Yusei can prevent it!"

"Don't give me that!" Paradox said, letting his temper show despite his normally cool and collected façade. "He failed once, and he'll fail again!"

"Yusei. Take your turn," Antinomy said, slowing down so that he was beside Yusei. "I'll back you up. Trust me."

And, to his own surprise, Yusei did. He trusted Antinomy. The other was his teacher, and he felt like he knew the left-handed Duelist very well, something that surprised him given the other's mysterious nature. Yes, he knew a little of the other's history now, but that was just that – a history. It didn't reflect Antinomy now.

"My turn!" Yusei declared, drawing a card and frowning. It was Bolt Hedgehog.

"Sin Antinomy Dragon's effect activates," Paradox said, his tone icy. "During the standby phase of each opponent that doesn't control a Sin monster, they must discard one card from their hand to the Cemetery or take 1000 Life Points of damage."

His mouth set at a line, Yusei sent the Bolt Hedgehog card to his Graveyard. Either way, the card would get sent there, and he couldn't use it right now. And right now on his field, he only had Nitro Warrior and Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. While his trap would block one attack, his Nitro Warrior wasn't enough to destroy Paradox's dragons… he would be wide open to a direct attack from whichever dragon Paradox attacked with last.

"Trap card, open!" Antinomy suddenly called out, one of his set cards revealing an image of hands grabbing at cards in the air. "Draw Master! Each player must draw or discard cards equal to my own!" He held his hand up. "I have four cards! So, all players must have four cards in their hand!"

I see! The effect doesn't benefit him at all and it benefits Paradox, but his intention was to have me draw more cards! Yusei gratefully drew four cards from his deck as Paradox drew three more, for a total of four. Yusei glanced down at the cards. Yes, this will work!

"Yusei! Watch! You are capable of this, too! Top Clear Mind! I will tune my Level 5 Tech Genus Hyper Librarian and my Level 2 Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly with my Level 5 Tech Genus Wonder Magician! Limiter Removal, Level Max! Regulator Open, All Clear! Infinite Power, Break Time and Space to Open Unknown World! Go! Delta Accel!" Startled at Antinomy's voice, Yusei glanced up, just in time to see Antinomy disappear from sight, and the sun that they were racing around to explode into a black hole.

"What?!"

"Come On! Tech Genus Halberd Cannon!" When Antinomy appeared again, skidding so close to Yusei that he nearly bumped into him, Yusei noted with dim shock that Tech Genus Wonder Magician, Tech Genus Hyper Librarian, and Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly were gone. Instead, they were replaced with another monster, a humanoid dressed in black armor and holding a spear, with 4000 ATK and DEF.

"This is an even greater Synchro Summon than Accel Synchro! This is Delta Accel Synchro!"

"Delta Accel Synchro?!" An even better Synchro Summon, using a Synchro Tuner and two Synchro Monsters to summon…

"Yusei," Antinomy said. "Delta Accel Synchro is my special method. It's my own form of Accel Synchro." He was silent, and then a smile – an oddly familiar smile – crossed his face. "You too, Yusei, are capable of finding your own method of Accel Synchro – perhaps even greater than Delta Accel Synchro. And I want to be there when you discover it."

Not if. When.

Paradox rolled his eyes. "So you summoned a Synchro Monster with high ATK. Even if it battled, two of my dragons could take it out with them, and Sin Paradox Dragon can easily overwhelm it."

"…" Yusei took a deep breath, letting himself feel the wind from riding. He couldn't do a Delta Accel Synchro right now, but the cards in his hand, and the monster Antinomy had on the field, would let him do something. "When the Tuner Monster Boost Synchron is added to my hand from a card effect, I can Special Summon it to the field. Come to the field, Boost Synchron!" A monster, shaped like a red rocket ship with eyes, arms, and legs, appeared on the field, flying next to Yusei. "Next, I will tune Antinomy's Level 1 Tech Genus Drill Fish with my Level 1 Boost Synchron! Gathering wishes will call out a new speed's horizon! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! The Power of Hope, Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron!"

The Synchron-series monster, shaped much like a racecar with eyes, arms, and legs, appeared, looking somewhat prideful.

"A Synchro Tuner…! You are really going to try it, Yusei Fudo?" Paradox asked, as if trying to discourage him.

"When Formula Synchron is successfully Synchro Summoned, I can draw one card," Yusei said, drawing. "Next, when there's a Tuner monster on the field, I can Special Summon Bolt Hedgehog from my Cemetery!" The hedgehog, with screws on its back instead of quills, appeared with a squeak. "And when I Special Summon a monster from my Cemetery, I can Special Summon Doppelwarrior from my hand!" The black-garbed humanoid warrior appeared, looking eager. Choosing not to summon its Doppel Tokens, Yusei placed one final card on the field. "Finally, I normal summon Debris Dragon!" The white dragon, looking much like a miniature version of Yusei's famous monster, roared as it appeared.

He closed his eyes, allowing his instincts to guide him around the track. It only made sense that he would summon this monster against Paradox. "Finally, I will tune my Level 2 Doppelwarrior and my Level 2 Bolt Hedgehog with my Level 4 Debris Dragon! Gathering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!" In a burst of white sparkles, his ever-famous Stardust Dragon appeared on the field, roaring, and Yusei felt his Signer mark burn briefly, acknowledging what he had done.

"I set one card on the field," Yusei said, glancing at the card in his hand briefly before placing it face-down in the Spell/Trap Zone. "Turn end."

"What good will your 2500 ATK Stardust Dragon do against my three?" Paradox asked, though the other sounded wary. Yusei didn't blame him. The last time he and Paradox had dueled, Stardust Dragon had been the other's undoing, with a little help from Judai's Elemental Hero NEOS and Yugi's Black Magician. "My turn." Paradox drew a card. "It does not matter if you have Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, Yusei Fudo. It will only block one attack, and I have three dragons and you have three monsters including one with little ATK. It is only a matter of time before your Life is wiped out."

Yusei grimaced, and stared straight ahead, clearing his mind. He thought of nothing, except the world of speed, moving faster, and faster. "Clear Mind! I will tune my Level 8 Stardust Dragon with my Level 2 Formula Synchron! Gathering crystal dreams, open the door to a new evolution! Become the path its light shines upon!"

Everything was clear as Yusei disappeared in the world of speed. Yusei held the special card out, the one that he knew now that, for whatever reason, Z-ONE had given him to quicken his evolution. "Accel Synchro! Be born, Shooting Star Dragon!"

"Shooting Star Dragon…" Paradox muttered. "This is the result of an early experiment…"

"Yusei…" Antinomy gazed up at the dragon. The other could summon it so easily now.

"Paradox! Shooting Star Dragon is the proof of the bond that I share with Antinomy!" Yusei told him. "The bond I share with all of my friends!"


	5. Repent! Sin Z-ONE Dragon!

_Bruno learns that he's a true member of Team 5Ds and more cliche stuff happens._

* * *

"Shooting Star Dragon is still a 3300 ATK monster compared to my three!" Paradox snapped. "And there is a weaker target on your field. Sin Paradox Dragon, attack his Nitro Warrior!"

"Trap card, open! Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei said, watching as the scarecrow took the attack head-on and blocked it before resetting itself on the field.

"Tch – Sin Aporia Dragon, destroy his Nitro Warrior once and for all!" Paradox ordered.

The monster didn't stand a chance, getting incinerated from the blast of energy that the dragon had fired straight at it. "Nitro Warrior!" Yusei called, though the shockwave soon reached him and he nearly spun out at the loss of 1200 Life Points and 1 Speed Counter. He only had 2800 Life Points left now…

"Yusei!" Antinomy's voice had called his name, with some horror. Yusei barely heard him as he struggled to control his D-Wheel and to outrun the gravitational pull of the black hole that he had dipped far too close to. Falling off the path, given how close he was to the edge, would be disastrous; there would be nothing stopping him from falling.

But he barely managed to regain control, panting with relief. His relief didn't last long as Paradox announced his third attack. "Sin Antinomy Dragon, destroy his Shooting Star Dragon!"

"I activate Shooting Star Dragon's effect!" Yusei yelled. "Once per turn, I can remove it from play to negate an attack! Shooting Star Dragon! Victim Sanctuary!" The giant white dragon roared, stardust falling from its wings and forcing Sin Antinomy Dragon's attack to fizzle out before it disappeared.

Paradox's lip curled. "I set one card, and end my turn."

"Again, I activate Shooting Star Dragon's effect! If I removed it from play to negate one attack, it comes back at the End Phase. Come back, Shooting Star Dragon!" The dragon reappeared on the field, posing impressively above Yusei.

Antinomy smiled, and drew a card. "My turn!" He frowned at his hand.

"Due to Sin Antinomy Dragon's effect," Paradox said coolly, "you must discard a card from your hand or lose 1000 Life Points each turn."

The other nodded, picking up a card labeled "Tech Genus Living Metal" and sending it to the Cemetery. "I discard one card from my hand. Next, if this card is sent to the Cemetery by a card effect, I can Special Summon it anytime during the duel to my field. Come, Tech Genus Cyber Elf!" The monster that appeared looked much like a blue fairy with a halo and robes, though there was a definite robotic and ghostly look to it. "Next, I activate the Speed Spell – Speed Energy! This card can only be activated when I have 2 or more Speed Counters. I can raise the ATK of one monster on the field by 200 for every Speed Counter that I have. I have 7 Speed Counters! Therefore, Tech Genus Halberd Cannon has 5400 ATK!"

 _Yes!_ Yusei realized. _Now it is stronger than Sin Aporia Dragon and Sin Antinomy Dragon. If it destroys one of them, then Sin Paradox Dragon's ATK will fall!_

"Tech Genus Halberd Cannon! Attack his Sin Antinomy Dragon!" Antinomy ordered, watching as the black-armored monster fired its cannon right at the other, causing a cloud of smoke to cover the entire viewing area.

However, when the smoke cleared, it turned out that Tech Genus Halberd Cannon appeared to be in pain before it was destroyed.

"What?! My Tech Genus Halberd Cannon was…" Antinomy trailed off as Paradox smiled and pointed to the trap card he had just activated.

"Trap card, Sin Claw Stream. I can only activate this when I control at least one Sin monster on the field. I can destroy one monster on the field," he explained. "Say goodbye to your Delta Accel Synchro Monster."

Antinomy grunted in irritation. "When Tech Genus Halberd Cannon is destroyed, I can Special Summon one Tech Genus monster from my extra deck. Come! Tech Genus Power Gladiator!" The gladiator appeared, brandishing its battle axe. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

 _Tech Genus Halberd Cannon… both that and Tech Genus Blade Gunner were his ace monsters, and both are now destroyed…_ Yusei frowned. _Surely he must have something planned that could help take Paradox's dragons down?_ He glanced down at his own side of the field. _Right now, I only have Shooting Star Dragon. Scrap-Iron Scarecrow can block one attack, but I can't count on it to stick around much longer. I can't activate my other face-down card yet… and in my hand, I only have Stardust Xiaolong, which is useless right now. Hopefully, this draw will get me something good. But…_ his eyes flickered over to Sin Sprite, which had been sitting on the field doing nothing the entire time. _I'm worried about that card. It's done nothing, but I have a bad feeling about it._

"My turn!" Yusei called, drawing his card and frowned at it. Not the ideal card, but it could help him get his ideal card.

"Sin Antinomy Dragon's effect activates," Paradox told him. "Discard a card or pay your Life Points."

"I discard Stardust Xiaolong from my hand," Yusei conceded, sending the dragon to his Graveyard. "Next, I play the Speed Spell – Pot of Greed. It allows me to draw one card for every 3 Speed Counters I have. I have 7 Speed Counters, so I draw two cards!"

He took a deep breath, drawing two cards. _Cards… don't fail me now._ His eyes widened. One of them was exactly the card he needed to destroy Paradox's dragons once and for all. And the other was a card that he'd forgotten that he had. It figured that it would show up now…

"I play the Speed Spell – Silver Contrails!" he announced. "I can only activate this when I have 5 or more Speed Counters. It allows me to increase the ATK of one WIND monster on the field by 1000 ATK until the End Phase. I select Shooting Star Dragon!" The dragon roared as its ATK went up to 4300 – just high enough to defeat two of Paradox's dragons. "Next, I activate Shooting Star Dragon's effect! I must reveal the top five cards of my deck. For each Tuner Monster I reveal, I can attack once!"

 _If Yusei draws four Tuner Monsters_ , Antinomy realized, _then he can get rid of the rest of Paradox's Life Points!_

Taking another deep breath, Yusei drew five cards. Scramble Egg, Level Warrior, Drill Synchron, Nitro Synchron, and Turbo Synchron. While Scramble Egg was a Trap and Level Warrior was an Effect Monster, the other three were Tuners. Not the ideal situation… but he could at least get rid of Paradox's monsters.

"I drew three Tuner Monsters!" He said, holding them up before shuffling them back into his deck as Shooting Star Dragon split into white, red, and blue images of itself. "Shooting Star Dragon! Attack Sin Aporia Dragon and Sin Antinomy Dragon! Stardust Mirage!" The blue and red images flew down onto the two dragons, destroying them and lowering Sin Paradox Dragon's attack back to its normal 4000. "Go! Attack Sin Paradox Dragon!" The white Shooting Star Dragon barreled towards the other dragon like a missile, ripping through it and causing it to explode.

"My… my dragons…" Paradox voice trailed off as he looked behind him, his life points dropping to 2800. He now had nothing but Sin Sprite on his field, but at least it and his life had been mostly spared… that would be Yusei's undoing. "Too bad, Yusei Fudo. Had you managed to get a fourth Tuner Monster, you would have destroyed my Life. It seems that you are not the one destined to win, after all. I activate Sin Sprite's effect!"

"What?" Yusei gasped.

"Here it comes!" Antinomy braced himself.

"When I have Sin Antinomy Dragon, Sin Paradox Dragon, and Sin Aporia Dragon in the Cemetery, I can tribute Sin Sprite to Special Summon Sin Z-ONE Dragon from my hand!"

Yusei paled. "Sin Z-ONE Dragon…?" He had a very bad feeling about this.

"It is the most powerful of the Sin Monsters," Paradox explained, as something black, robotic, and what appeared to be a dragon with its face covered by a white mask, flew out of the black hole and next to Paradox. "It represents Z-ONE himself. It gains 500 ATK and DEF for every 'Sin' Monster that I have in my Cemetery. I have ten Sin Monsters in my Cemetery, therefore its attack is equal to 5000!"

"5000 ATK?!" That was much higher than Shooting Star Dragon's, even with Silver Contrails – which would be wearing off at the end of the turn.

"Furthermore," Paradox continued. "When Sin Z-ONE dragon is successfully Special Summoned, I can destroy one card on the field." He pointed at one of Yusei's traps. "I destroy your Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" The trap card shattered.

 _Of course he would destroy that…_ Yusei glanced down at the card that he had left in his hand. _Still… it was a good thing that I drew this card._ He set the remaining card face-down. "I set one card and end my turn. At the end of the turn, Shooting Star Dragon's attack will go back down to what it was." He grimaced as its ATK went back down to 3300. He'd gotten rid of Paradox's three dragons, but now there was an even bigger problem on the field…

He just hoped that he could survive it.

"You're done for, Yusei Fudo!" Paradox smiled, drawing a card from his Deck. "Especially since if Sin Z-ONE Dragon attacks an opponent's Dragon-type Synchro Monster, then the amount of damage done is doubled! Sin Z-ONE Dragon! Destroy his Shooting Star Dragon once and for all! Heaven's Divine Judgement!" The dragon roared, charging up pulsing white energy in its mouth.

Yusei gritted his teeth, preparing to activate his trap as the attack hurtled towards him. It would help him survive this, at least, because if he took that attack directly, there was no way that he would. But he would have rather saved it, just in case…

"Trap card, open! Technology Barrier!"

 _Antinomy?!_ Yusei turned his head slightly to gaze at the other as Sin Z-ONE Dragon fired the energy, and a barrier appeared around Yusei, but not Shooting Star Dragon. "Aaaargh!" he winced as his Shooting Star Dragon was destroyed and his Life Points plummeted, but they didn't hit 0. Instead, they dropped to 1100, and he almost skidded off of the side of the road as a result. _I only lost half of my Life!_

"Technology Barrier can only be activated when a monster declares battle and I have a Machine-type monster on the field." Antinomy nodded to Tech Genus Power Gladiator as he spoke. "Any battle damage is calculated between the two monsters' original ATK so Sin Z-ONE Dragon's double damage effect is negated! Also, the player that was attacked can return one Synchro Monster from their Cemetery to the Extra Deck!"

 _I still lost Shooting Star Dragon… but thanks to him, I can activate the trap I_ wouldn't _have been able to. Antinomy, did you think the timing was better now? Surely you would've known that I had a way to survive?_ Yusei gazed thoughtfully at the older duelist as he took Stardust Dragon from his Cemetery and placed it in his Extra Deck.

"Furthermore," Antinomy continued, "I can summon one Level 3 or lower Machine-Type monster onto the field. Come! Tech Genus Jet Falcon!" The bird-like monster screeched, flying alongside Antinomy's Gladiator, Cyber Elf, and D-Wheel.

"But, I can activate Sin Z-ONE Dragon's effect!" Paradox announced. "If this monster destroys another as a result of battle, I can select up to two cards on the field and destroy them! I choose Antinomy's Tech Genus Power Gladiator, and that face-down card of Yusei's!" He pointed to one of Yusei's face-down cards, and the two cards he had named started to spark and fizzle.

"I won't let you destroy our bonds!" Yusei yelled, holding his arm out as the face-down card Paradox pointed to flipped up. "Trap card, open! Starlight Road! I can activate this card when two or more cards are going to be destroyed through a card effect! I can negate the effect and destroy the card!"

"Sin Z-ONE Dragon's effect activates!" Paradox shouted. "If a trap is to counter and destroy it when it uses an effect, it won't be destroyed!"

"But, I can still negate the effect and Special Summon Stardust Dragon to the field! Return to me, Stardust Dragon!" The majestic white dragon appeared on the field, roaring. "And with Stardust Dragon on the field, I can Special Summon the Stardust Xiaolong resting in my Cemetery!" The lung dragon appeared, flying next to Stardust Dragon.

"I won't let you Synchro Summon even more monsters!" Paradox hissed. "Trap card, open! Triple Sin! This card can only be activated if monsters are Special Summoned during the Battle Phase. I can select one 'Sin' monster and have it attack three other targets! I will have Sin Z-ONE Dragon attack Stardust Dragon, Stardust Xiaolong, and Tech Genus Cyber Elf!"

Sin Z-ONE Dragon gathered up three balls of energy in its mouth, before firing the three blasts at the monsters. Yusei quickly pushed a button on his D-Wheel as all three monsters were enveloped in smoke. Paradox smirked, pleased that those annoying pests were gone, before his eyes widened.

In between each monster was what appeared to be a piece of an old totem pole. In front of Yusei, a trap card showing a whole totem pole was active. "Trap Card, Totem Pole," Yusei explained, closing his eyes. Yanagi had given him the card a long time ago, but it was only now that he was able to utilize it. The old man had been right – it did serve him well, in this instant. "It can negate up to three attacks!"

Totem Pole was destroyed, but their monsters were safe – and that was the most important part.

Paradox nearly crushed the handlebar of his D-Wheel in frustration as his attacks were all completely blocked. "…Turn end."

 _This is it_ , Antinomy realized as he drew his card. _We're going to have to find a way to defeat Sin Z-ONE Dragon on either my turn, or on Yusei's turn. But with the current cards… this is going to be impossible._ His eyes flickered towards Yusei, concerned. He could have sworn that he felt a throbbing on his arm… but he was more in tune with his own systems now, and there appeared to be nothing wrong with him.

Antinomy gripped his next card, before drawing it. _Yusei, I_ will not _fail you!_

Yusei's head snapped down as his arm burned, the dragon head birthmark glowing through his shirt sleeve. He _knew_ that the other Signers weren't fighting right now – he was the last Signer that had to defeat his opponent. But the burn felt different, even from when Rua had awakened. This one was of warmth and determination.

His eyes flickered to Antinomy; he could tell that the sensations were coming from him. The other really wanted the two of them to win, to make sure that they were the ones that managed to get out of this alive, instead of Paradox, for whatever reason.

Antinomy's arm burned, a glowing red jagged shape drawing itself. He wasn't sure what shape it was, other than it could only be one thing.

A Signer birthmark.


	6. The Dragon Star

_I make up more new cards, a Ritual Summon happens, and the duel ends._

* * *

Jack, Ruka, and Rua's birthmarks burned, causing the three of them to look down as they headed towards the Support Gear.

"The birthmarks!" Rua cried out, surprised.

"It feels warm…" Ruka murmured, not daring to let go of Jack's D-Wheel to touch hers. "But like someone is determined."

"Yusei?" Jack frowned. Surely Yusei was the only one of them that was still fighting? Of course, there was no one else that it could be, and he opened his mouth to say so.

However, just then, all three of their birthmarks vanished.

* * *

Aki, Crow, and Sherry stared down at the two birthmarks that were glowing from where they were standing next to the door for the Support Gear.

"It's glowing?" Sherry asked, frowning. She didn't know too much about them other than the fact that they were all connected to each other, and that the others could feel them.

"It feels similar to when Rua got his birthmark, but…" Aki seemed uncertain.

"Yeah," Crow nodded. "Yusei's the only one left that is fighting. Perhaps he needs our strength?"

Before Aki or Sherry could say anything, though, the two birthmarks disappeared.

* * *

Yusei, who was behind Antinomy on the track, saw it first – the full Crimson Dragon seal, glowing proudly, on Antinomy's back.

"The Crimson Dragon… chose him, too?" He said, pressing on the acceleration so that he could take a closer look at the mark on his back. Rua, he understood – the boy had been fighting hard for the sake of assisting his sister and the other Signers, even though it wasn't his battle. Plus, he was a close friend of the five Signers and a member of Team 5Ds.

Antinomy, though…

The older duelist was smiling, his gaze turned to the mark glowing on his forearm. It appeared to resemble the Crimson Dragon's tongue, though clearly, artistic liberty had been taken. Then his head snapped up, and though Yusei couldn't see his eyes (what color were his eyes, anyways? They'd always been covered by the dark glasses), he was sure they had sharpened.

"Paradox! This is the proof – the proof of the bond that I have with Yusei and the others!" Antinomy shouted, playing the card. "I summon Tech Genus Limited Core to the field!" A small puddle of crimson goo, with a golden metallic sphere inside it, appeared on the field with a squeak. "When this card is summoned successfully to the field, I can revive one Level 2 or lower monster from my Graveyard. Return! Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly!" The red goo expanded from the Limited Core, before bursting open to reveal the metallic dragonfly.

"What's he doing?" Yusei asked rhetorically, driving closer to the older duelist.

"Next! I will tune my Level 4 Tech Genus Limited Core with my Level 3 Tech Genus Jet Falcon!" Antinomy yelled.

Paradox's eyes widened. "What?!"

The Jet Falcon screeched, bursting into flame and resembling the Crimson Dragon as the Limited Core trilled and was enveloped by it. "Limiter Removal, Level 7! Regulator Open, All Clear! Infinite Heart, Beat Strongly in a New World! Go! Synchro Summon! Come on! Metal Accel Dragon!"

"Metal Accel Dragon?!" Even Yusei was surprised; that monster didn't match the 'Tech Genus' archetype that Antinomy had been using in all of their meetings at all. But the dragon had been unmistakably summoned, the flames dying down to reveal a liquid metal that slowly hardened into a shining, silver, metallic armor. The dragon's body was long and segmented and shaped like a wyvern's, with what appeared to be a glowing red crystal heart pulsating strongly in the center of its chest.

"You didn't have this dragon before!" Paradox yelled, though the way his voice shook suggested that he was deeply unsettled by its mere presence.

"You are right," Antinomy confirmed. "I didn't. But, it was granted to me just now, so that I could do what I have to for this world!" He took a deep breath, gazing at the dragon for a few seconds before pulling another card out. "I activate Tech Genus Jet Falcon's effect! If this card is tributed for a Synchro Summon, my opponent loses 500 LP!"

Paradox hissed as his Life dropped to 2300. "But if my Life drops from a card effect, I can activate Sin Z-ONE Dragon's effect and cause your life to drop 1000!"

Antinomy barely flinched when his Life dropped to 3000. He had plenty of Life left, after all. "Now I activate Metal Accel Dragon's effect – if this card is successfully Synchro Summoned, I can Special Summon one Synchro Monster from my Cemetery that is Level 7 or lower. I choose Tech Genus Hyper Librarian! Come!" The magician was revived, displaying his robe impressively. "Next, I send my Tech Genus Cyber Elf to the Cemetery to revive one Synchro Monster that is Level 5 or lower. Return, Tech Genus Wonder Magician!" The Cyber Elf burst into sparkles, which hovered briefly before reforming into the Wonder Magician.

Is there a reason that he is summoning his Synchro Monsters? Yusei mused, watching him. What could he be thinking?

The dragon roared, its crystal heart beating strongly as it rested at 2200 ATK and 1900 DEF. Antinomy gazed at the dragon for a few seconds before he nodded. "Turn end."

Yusei was impressed. In one turn, he had Synchro Summoned a monster and had revived three of his Synchro Monsters, for a total of five Synchro Monsters. At the moment, he himself only had Stardust Dragon and Stardust Xiaolong on the field, and no cards in his hand. All of Antinomy's monsters, as numerous as they were, were weaker than Sin Z-ONE Dragon, including Metal Accel Dragon. This was it. This duel would be decided with this draw.

"My… turn!" Yusei yelled, drawing the card. He didn't dare look at it for a few seconds, letting all the hope inside of him well up that this would be the card he needed – or at least one of those cards. He still could use Speed Spell 2's effect if he had to…

His eyes widened when he saw the card. Exactly when had he gotten this card and put it in his deck? He couldn't recall… but perhaps it wasn't him that had done it. Regardless, he didn't have the card that he needed to use it. There was nothing to it but to draw one more card. "I activate Speed World 2's effect! By discarding 7 Speed Counters, I can draw one more card!"

He slowed down as his Speed Counters lowered to 2, his heart pounding as he gripped his cards. His birthmark – and Antinomy's, he noted from the corner of his eye – glowed as he drew the card. He frowned. Not what he needed, but he could use it to hopefully get what he needed.

"I play the Speed Spell – Reinvention!" Yusei declared, placing the card down. "I gain 1 Speed Counter, and it allows me to put one Speed Spell from my Cemetery to my hand. However, I won't be able to draw next turn. The card I choose is…" He retrieved the card from his Cemetery. "Speed Spell – Pot of Greed! Which I will play right now!"

This was it. He either got what he needed, or failed. Taking a deep breath, Yusei drew, and gazed at the two cards.

Bright Star Dragon, and Speed Spell – Burning Dragon Star. His eyes widened as he stared at the image of a Mayan altar, with a bright red star shining in the sky; yes, there was no way that he had put this card in his deck of his own volition.

It didn't matter. It was perfect and exactly what he needed.

"I summon Bright Star Dragon to the field!" Yusei yelled, watching as a miniature, yellowish version of Stardust Dragon appeared and flew beside him. "If this card is summoned, I can increase the level of one Monster on the field by 2! I change Stardust Xiaolong's level from 1 to 3!"

"Going to Synchro Summon again?" Paradox snapped at him. Really, Yusei relied on Synchro Summoning quite a bit for Paradox to believe that he would give it up. "Even if you Synchro Summon a Dragon-type Monster, as you always do, Sin Z-ONE Dragon's ATK will double when you are battling it!"

Yusei just smirked. "I am not going to Synchro Summon."

Both Paradox and Antinomy turned to stare at him this time as Yusei held the first card that he had drawn up.

"Next, if I have at least 2 Speed Counters, I can play the Speed Spell – Burning Dragon Star!" He set the card down as a Mayan altar with four torches lit appeared. In the inky blackness of the sky that they were riding under, a crimson star glowed, bright and strong.

"…A Ritual Summon?!" Antinomy sounded shocked. First Yusei had done a Fusion Summon against Team Unicorn in the W.R.G.P., and now a Ritual Summon against Paradox? The visored duelist wanted to glow with pride.

"For this ritual, I need at least three Dragon-type monsters, all of them equal to or above Level 3, to be equal to or greater than Level 12. I will use my Level 8 Stardust Dragon, Level 3 Stardust Xiaolong, and Level 4 Bright Star Dragon!" The three dragons flew up, above the altar, spinning in circles as the crimson star in the sky glowed brighter. The torches flared, and crimson light fell from the star. "The offering has been accepted!" A familiar cry echoed as Yusei and Antinomy's Signer Marks burned, fire enveloping Yusei's three dragons before it coalesced into the familiar form of the Crimson Dragon itself, but with a more solid body that resembled a normal dragon with flames licking its scales.

"Mighty king of the cosmos, come forth! Behold, Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star!"

"The… Dragon Star?" Paradox repeated dimly, his voice suggesting that he knew just how bad things had gotten, if this monster was now on the field.

"Quetzalcoatl gets 1000 ATK and DEF for every Dragon-type monster in my Cemetery!" Yusei gestured to the ghosts of his dragons floating beside the Ritual Monster. "I have Shooting Star Dragon, Stardust Dragon, Stardust Xiaolong, Debris Dragon, and Bright Star Dragon in my Cemetery, so Quetzalcoatl has 5000 ATK."

It was equal to Sin Z-ONE Dragon, which meant that if it attacked, it would destroy the both of them; due to the fact that Quetzalcoatl was a Ritual Monster and not a Synchro Monster, Sin Z-ONE Dragon's effect of doubling damage would not activate. Yusei would rather not destroy it in a kamikaze attempt to take Paradox's dragon out, but there was no choice; and hopefully, Antinomy's army of Synchro Monsters including Metal Accel Dragon would wipe Paradox out on his next turn. But before Yusei could order his monster to attack, another voice called out.

"During another player's turn," Antinomy announced, "I can equip Metal Accel Dragon to any monster on the field that I choose – and I choose Yusei's Quetzalcoatl! Unite!"

The wyvern compacted itself as it flew over Yusei's monster, wrapping its wings and limbs around Quetzalcoatl and essentially acting as an armor of sorts for it. Its heart, however, shifted up and onto its head, glowing strongly as Quetzalcoatl roared.

"When Metal Accel Dragon unites with another monster," Antinomy continued. "It draws on the power of every other Synchro Monster on the field other than itself and the monster it united with. I have four Synchro Monsters on the field – Tech Genus Wonder Magician, Tech Genus Hyper Librarian, Tech Genus Power Gladiator, and Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly. Metal Accel Dragon will add half of these monsters' combined ATK to the monster it is united with." The four monsters closed their eyes and glowed, sending a wave of blue energy towards Quetzalcoatl and Metal Accel Dragon.

"The combined attacks of those monsters is 6900…" Yusei noted, his eyes widening. "That means… Quetzalcoatl's ATK goes up by 3450!"

Antinomy smiled at Yusei, and nodded. "It is now 8450! Furthermore, when Metal Accel Dragon enters battle, whether by itself or equipped to another monster, Quick-Play Spells or Traps cannot be activated."

Quetzalcoatl roared triumphantly, growing larger as the red heart pulsed. It was now easily able to overpower Paradox's Sin Z-ONE Dragon with a single attack.

It was at that moment that Paradox knew that he was finished. He couldn't use Sin Z-ONE Dragon's ability to do double damage against Synchro Monsters, because Quetzalcoatl was a Ritual Monster, and none of its other abilities would protect it from an attack by a much stronger monster. And he had no cards that could raise its attack up that high.

Despite how afraid he was, his eyes turned to Antinomy, who had slowed down enough so that he was riding with Yusei, their monsters (mostly Antinomy's) flying together proudly. Yusei opened his mouth, and Paradox gritted his teeth.

"Quetzalcoatl, attack Paradox's Sin Z-ONE Dragon! Galaxy's Flame!"

The dragon gathered up a huge ball of fire in its mouth, the eyes of both it, Metal Accel Dragon, and Paradox's other monsters glowing, before it fired straight at Sin Z-ONE Dragon. Paradox's monster screamed as it was enveloped in the flames, shattering.

The shockwave caught Paradox, and he lost control, his D-Wheel spinning out and slowing down – and getting pulled towards the black hole now that he wasn't riding fast enough to escape it.

Despite all that this man had put him, Antinomy, Judai, and Yugi through, Yusei didn't want him to die. He just wanted to change the world. It wasn't a bad goal. So he slowed down, holding his hand out towards Paradox. "Paradox! Grab my hand!"

The man stared at him, and at his offered hand, and his expression was clear: he was surprised, and torn about what to do. Should he swallow his pride and take Yusei's hand, and allow himself to be saved? Or should he die a martyr, knowing that he had failed Z-ONE?

And yet, something flickered in his memory.


	7. Hope for the Future

_And everything ends, leaving a potential opening in case I want to play more, but it's not going to happen._

* * *

Paradox and Antinomy were standing together, atop the place they called home now, staring down at the ruined world. Z-ONE was doing something else, so the two of them were up here reminding themselves as to what it was that they were fighting for – what they were going to break the laws of physics to do.

"Paradox," Antinomy said, turning to the other.

"Hm?" Paradox raised an eyebrow as Antinomy placed his hand on his shoulder.

"No matter what it takes… I'll do everything in my power to change this future. A future where you and Z-ONE and I and everyone that has perished do not have to deal with this." He smiled. "And I won't rest until I've found the means to do so."

"Do you really think we can do it?" Paradox murmured, glancing up at the red sky caused by the setting sun.

Antinomy just squeezed his shoulder. "Paradox, when you put your mind to it and are bound and determined to change the future at no matter what cost… you might find all your dreams coming true."

* * *

 _And he would even go so far as to aid the ones we are fighting against, because he believes in them…_ Paradox closed his eyes for a split second, before reaching out to grab for Yusei's hand and jump onto the other's D-Wheel, hanging off of the edge not dissimilarly to how Aki had done so during Yusei's duel with Sherry, as his own flew off into the black hole.

…He would miss that D-Wheel, but he had the schematics to build a duplicate. Z-ONE had made sure that duplicates of their items were always available. The D-Wheel wasn't important, but his own life was, even if he was an android now.

Because Antinomy was right. Sure, the future had not changed, yet… but hadn't he, through all this effort, accomplished something that he would have dearly loved to see happen when he was younger, let alone participate in?

He had dreamed to see Yusei, Judai, and Yugi duel together, all in one place. Never had he imagined that he would be the _cause_ of such an event occurring. Even if they had been fighting against him, he had to admit that he was secretly thrilled at seeing the three of them sharing their cards with each other and pulling off amazing combos that no one had thought about.

Yes, he had lost that particular battle.

But he had fulfilled his dream. That had been the important part. There were things more important than battling, and he knew it now.

He couldn't die yet. He didn't know just what he had gained from losing this battle. Antinomy had gained a new destiny and monster in his Signer birthmark and Metal Accel Dragon, and Yusei had gained a definite ally in his quest to stop the Arc Cradle from falling in Antinomy. What had he, Paradox, gained?

He had to see how it turned out – whether Antinomy's faith was founded, and whether Yusei Fudo was indeed capable of saving the world this time.

* * *

Yusei couldn't help but sigh with relief as Paradox allowed himself to be saved; he'd been concerned that the man would go out like a martyr, and even if he wasn't completely fond of him, he could respect what he wanted to do.

Despite the draw of the black hole, he and Antinomy were still going faster than it could draw them in, and the two of them soon saw a bright light, indicating that the road was leading out of the space that they had entered and back to where the Planetary Gear was.

The two D-Wheels stopped as soon as they were out, and Yusei turned around, only to look surprised at the fact that the entrance was gone. Had it been another dimension? He climbed off of his D-Wheel, watching as Paradox jumped down and Antinomy did the same.

Paradox didn't speak to any of them, merely giving Yusei and Antinomy a sharp but short nod before he began walking away from them, through one of the entrances not leading towards the Support Gear.

"Paradox…" Yusei started, but Antinomy shook his head.

"Let him go," he said, stepping up and placing his hand on Yusei's shoulder again. "He has learned things in this duel that he needs to think over. He will come back when he feels that he is ready."

The younger duelist frowned, but nodded, turning towards Antinomy. "That reminds me… the Crimson Dragon chose you to bear one of its Birthmarks and even rewarded you with a Signer Dragon." One that he was sure hadn't been a Signer Dragon before.

Antinomy nodded. "Yes."

"I just find it strange," Yusei said, sitting back down on his D-Wheel. "The Crimson Dragon saw something inside of you that it liked. Yet I don't know you at all… just as the duelist that shows up and assists me when I need it."

The other didn't respond, instead heading back over to his D-Wheel and sitting down on it. However, when Yusei looked at him, he was smirking. "Oh really, Yusei? I think you know me quite well."

Yusei started his D-Wheel up. "What do you mean by that?"

Antinomy just smiled at him and started his D-Wheel up. "Let's hurry. We have to reach the Support Gear. I'm sure that the others have all finished and are waiting for us."

Despite how many questions he had for the other, Antinomy was right. They had to keep going, if only to make it to the Support Gear on time.

* * *

The six of them had been waiting for the final Planetary Gear to stop, next to the door with the Support Gear. The door to the Support Gear would only open once all three had been stopped. Of course, this meant that as soon as the door opened, they knew.

"The door…" Aki murmured, watching as it opened up.

Jack smirked and pumped his fist. "So Yusei stopped the final gear?"

The heard the two D-Wheels approaching them before they saw them. Yusei in front, with Antinomy right behind him.

"It's Yusei and that guy!" Rua cried out excitedly.

"Yusei!" Ruka said, just as eager as her brother for once, as they all ran towards their friend and their ally. Sherry followed behind at a slightly slower pace.

"Is everyone safe?" Yusei asked, taking his helmet off.

Aki nodded. "Yes."

Rua couldn't seem to hold back anymore, and ran close to the D-Wheel, showing his arm with what appeared to be a stylized heart on it. "Yusei, take a look at this!"

Both Yusei and Antinomy climbed off of their D-Wheels as Yusei inspected the birthmark. "That birthmark…"

"I'm the sixth Signer! I'm like you, Jack, and everyone else!" He couldn't seem to control how happy he was.

"Yusei, you should have seen it," Jack said, closing his eyes with a bit of pride in his tone. "Rua's dueling, I mean."

"Because we wouldn't have stopped the Planetary Gear if Rua hadn't been there," Ruka continued, her voice as soft as it normally was.

The young boy's face was red, embarrassed despite how proud he was of his accomplishments. And really, why shouldn't he be proud? "Come on! Don't you think that's over-exaggerating a _little_ too much…?"

"Rua." The boy glanced up as Yusei as the other placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did well." In truth, he was extremely proud of Rua. The other deserved it, after everything that he had done.

"Yusei…" Rua looked like he wanted to hug him, but restrained himself.

Yusei gave Rua one more smile, before turning towards Sherry, who had been quiet the entire time. He wasn't sure what she had been thinking, but it looked like his friends had managed to convince her to come along with them. "Sherry…"

"I've decided that I'll fight alongside you guys," she stated calmly, her face betraying no emotion. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments in silence, before Yusei nodded.

"I see. I understand." Sherry now knew what she was fighting for.

Aki finally looked over at Antinomy, who had been quiet the entire time that Yusei had been talking to the others. It seemed that he hadn't wanted to interrupt their conversation at all. "You helped Yusei against the Planetary Gear, didn't you? Thank you, ah…" She hesitated, almost as if she wanted to say something but didn't. "I still don't know your name."

Antinomy smiled. "I go by Antinomy. But all of you know me by another name." There was nothing to it. Z-ONE was going to be near the Support Gear, he was sure of it, so he may as well reveal himself early and prevent Z-ONE from telling them and shocking them all.

"Antinomy…?" Ruka said, testing the name on her tongue. "It sounds strange. Like Aporia…"

Antinomy nodded. "Like Aporia and Z-ONE, I came from the future to change it. I just simply have a different method of attempting it… that doesn't involve destroying this world." He held his arm out and rolled the sleeve up, showing the jagged line that indicated his Signer birthmark. "And this is the proof that I have that I am allied with you."

"That's…" Jack realized.

"A Signer birthmark!" Rua yelped, peering at it. "…What on earth is it?"

Of course, the Birthmarks were extremely stylized, and it was usually hard to determine what the Birthmark was without looking at the full Crimson Dragon seal. Even Yusei had thought that he'd been in possession of the Head before when it had really been the Tail.

"The Crimson Dragon feels confident that you want to help us..." Crow muttered. "Well, good enough for me!"

"You said that we know you by another name," Jack interrupted before anyone else could speak up. "We're wasting time just standing here and talking about it. If we know you by another name, then which name is that?"

 _That's right_. Yusei frowned. Antinomy seemed to know them very well, if what he had said during their duel was anything to go by. And even Yusei couldn't deny that there was something extremely familiar about the Duelist… almost as if he had known him for a long time now.

Reaching up to his helmet, Antinomy grabbed his helmet and pulled it off, revealing a face that all of them knew very well, with blue hair, reaching partway down his neck, and indigo eyes. There was no mistaking the identity of this person.

"B-B-B…" Rua stumbled over the name, unable to say it.

Yusei said it for him, stepping forward in shock. "Bruno!"

Antinomy – no, _Bruno_ – suddenly grinned at them instead of smirking, seeming more like the bumbling, goofy young man with amnesia that they had all taken in and befriended. " _All_ of Team 5Ds took the vow to prevent Yusei's 'inevitable fate' and save this world. I'm no different."

"Bruno, you…" Yusei trailed off.

It was hard to think of them as the same person. Antinomy was his teacher, mentor, the one who had taught him about Accel Synchro and had prevented him from jumping into a battle way over his head before he was ready – who protected him.

Bruno was one of his best friends. He was a genius when it came to machines and dueling, even more of a prodigy than Yusei himself, and could be a bit silly at times – and had a taste for Jack's Cup Ramen. He had always been happy to lend his support and be a part of Team 5Ds.

 _Well_ , Yusei thought wryly, _this certainly explains when he saw me Fusion Summon._

"What is this?!" Jack demanded. "You pretend to lose your memory and then run around like some masked vigilante and then expect us to just accept it?!"

"I really did lose my memory," Bruno insisted. "The same night that I taught Yusei to Accel Synchro, I lost my memory. Sector Security found me and put me with you guys, and… you know the rest. I started getting my memories back very slowly… and when the army of Ghosts attacked, I remembered enough to retrieve my D-Wheel and aid Yusei in defeating them. Placido – Aporia – was very unhappy with me about that and teaching Yusei to Accel Synchro, so I thought it would be safer if I pretended that 'Bruno' and 'Antinomy' were completely different people. And I didn't even remember my name was Antinomy until I was here on the Arc Cradle."

Antinomy and Bruno had acted _so different_ … as if they'd been contradictions of each other. Yusei supposed that the name Antinomy was fitting for the person that he was now. At least everything made sense. How Antinomy always seemed to know where he was and what he was doing – because of course he would let Bruno know about it!

The first one to step forward was Rua. "It doesn't matter!" he grinned. "You're still Bruno – you're still our friend! The one that has been helping us no matter what has been happening! A member of Team 5Ds and a Signer like the rest of us!"

"Rua is right," Yusei said, stepping forward to look at Bruno in the eyes. "You're our friend, Bruno. And we will face Z-ONE together."

"Thank you, Rua, Yusei, everyone," Bruno said, looking grateful. Yusei just smiled and nodded back at him as the group put their helmets on. They all climbed onto their D-Wheels – Ruka behind Aki and Rua behind Crow as usual – and drove down the path through the door.

As they drove, Bruno thought. He thought about the group of people with him, his friends, Yusei's friends. Sherry, who had been briefly swayed by Z-ONE's words, but now understood, just like him. Ruka, a gentle soul who just wished for the best. Rua, whose sheer determination made him more than a match for many. Aki, a Psychic Duelist that really just wanted to be accepted for who she was. Crow, a young man with a big heart that cared for those weaker than him. Jack, a former King who understood that there were more important things in life. Him – Bruno, a ridiculously human-like android carrying the soul of a dead man, who had found a better way to do what he had come back to do. And of course, Yusei, the one who had brought them all together just by existing.

Z-ONE still had several tricks up his sleeve; all he had to do was reveal his face, that he simply _existed_ and it could all be over. Yusei could give up and proclaim that it was impossible – not if Z-ONE had _that_ face. But nothing was impossible. They could do it. They could change the future.

Bruno had faith in them.


	8. Appendix: Duel Outline

_The outline of the duel, which I made before I started writing the actual story itself._

* * *

 **DUEL START:**

 ** _Rules:_**

-Riding Duel (Speed World 2)  
-Battle Royale (No player may attack on the first turn; 4000 LP)  
-All players gain 1 SPC each Standby Phase (Max: 12)  
-For every 1000 LP damage at once, 1 SPC is lost by the player.

 **TURN 1: PARADOX**

 ** _Situation:_  
** -Paradox – No cards on Field. (Hand: 5) (LP: 4000)  
-Antinomy – No cards on Field. (Hand: 5) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – No cards on Field. (Hand: 5) (LP: 4000)

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Paradox draws 1 card. (Hand: 6) ****

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-N/A

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Paradox Normal Summons "Sin Sprite".  
-Paradox draws 1 card due to its effect. (Hand: 6)  
-Paradox sets "Sin Dimension".  
-Paradox sets "Double Jeopardy".  
-Paradox sets "Sin Claw Stream".

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Skipped due to first turn.

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-N/A

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 2: ANTINOMY**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite", "Sin Dimension", "Double Jeopardy", "Sin Claw Stream". (Hand: 3) (LP: 4000)  
-Antinomy – No cards on Field. (Hand: 5) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – No cards on Field. (Hand: 5) (LP: 4000) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Antinomy draws 1 card. (Hand: 6) ****

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 1)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 1)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 1) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Paradox activates "Sin Dimension".  
-Paradox discards "Red Eyes Black Dragon" and Special Summons "Sin Red Eyes Black Dragon" (2400/2000).  
-Paradox discards "Blue Eyes White Dragon" and Special Summons "Sin Blue Eyes White Dragon" (3000/2500).  
-Paradox discards "Green Eyes Grey Dragon" and Special Summons "Sin Green Eyes Grey Dragon" (2700/2250)  
-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Striker" (2) by its effect.  
-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Werewolf" (3) by its effect.  
-Antinomy Normal Summons "Tech Genus Cyber Magician" (1).  
-Antinomy Synchro Summons "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian" (5, Striker+Werewolf).  
-Antinomy Synchro Summons "Tech Genus Wonder Magician" (5, Cyber Magician+Rush Rhino-hand).  
-Antinomy draws 1 card from "Hyper Librarian's" Effect. (Hand: 3) ****

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Skipped due to first turn.

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-Antinomy sets "Magnet Target".

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 3: YUSEI**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite" (E-M), "Sin Red Eyes Black Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Blue Eyes White Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Green Eyes Grey Dragon" (E-M) "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Double Jeopardy" (N-T), "Sin Claw Stream" (N-T). (Hand: 3) (LP: 4000)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian" (S-M), "Tech Genus Wonder Magician" (S-M), "Magnet Target" (N-T). (Hand: 2) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – No cards on Field. (Hand: 5) (LP: 4000) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Yusei draws 1 card. (Hand: 6)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 2)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 2)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 2) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Yusei Special Summons "Quickdraw Synchron" (5) by sending "Clear Effector" to the Graveyard.  
-Yusei Normal Summons "Junk Synchron" (3).  
-Yusei Special Summons "Clear Effector" (2; DEF) through "Junk Synchron's" Effect.  
-Yusei plays "Speed Spell – Cost Down" (Junk Servant: Lvl 4 - 2)  
-Yusei Special Summons "Junk Servant" (2) through its Effect.  
-Yusei Synchro Summons "Nitro Warrior" (7, Quickdraw Synchron + Clear Effector)  
-Yusei draws 1 card due to "Clear Effector's" Effect.  
-Antinomy draws 1 card due to "Hyper Librarian's" effect. (Hand: 3)  
-Yusei Synchro Summons "Junk Warrior" (5, Junk Synchron + Junk Servant)  
-Antinomy draws 1 card due to "Hyper Librarian's" effect. (Hand: 4)  
-Antinomy Accel Synchro Summons "Tech Genus Blade Gunner" (10, Wonder Magician + Hyper Librarian.)  
-Yusei sets "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow" (T). ****

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Skipped due to first turn.

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-N/A

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 4: PARADOX**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite" (E-M), "Sin Red Eyes Black Dragon" (N-M), "Sin Blue Eyes White Dragon" (N-M), "Sin Green Eyes Grey Dragon" (N-M) "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Sin Claw Stream" (N-T), "Double Jeopardy" (N-T). (Hand: 3) (LP: 4000)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Blade Gunner" (AS-M), "Magnet Target" (N-T). (Hand: 4) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Nitro Warrior" (S-M), "Junk Warrior" (S-M), "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow". (Hand: 1) (LP: 4000) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Paradox puts "Sin Antithesis Gear" into his hand. (Hand: 4)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 3)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 3)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 3) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Paradox Normal Summons "Sin Parallel Gear" (2).  
-Paradox Special Summons "Sin Syllogic Gear" (3) onto the field through its effect.  
-Paradox Synchro Summons "Sin Paradox Dragon" (10, Syllogic Gear + Red Eyes).  
-Paradox Synchro Summons "Sin Aporia Dragon" (10, Parallel Gear + Blue Eyes).  
-Paradox Special Summons "Sin Antithesis Gear" (2) through its effect.  
-Paradox Synchro Summons "Sin Antinomy Dragon" (10, Antithesis Gear + Green Eyes). ****

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Paradox attacks "Junk Warrior" with "Sin Paradox Dragon".  
-Yusei activates "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow" and re-sets it.  
-Paradox attacks "Junk Warrior" with "Sin Antinomy Dragon".  
-Antinomy activates "Magnet Target".  
-Paradox is forced to attack "Tech Genus Blade Gunner" with "Sin Antinomy Dragon". (Paradox LP: 4000 - 3700.)  
-Paradox attacks "Tech Genus Blade Gunner" with "Sin Aporia Dragon".  
-Yusei Special Summons "Synchron Believer" to negate the attack.  
-Paradox activates "Double Jeopardy" to destroy "Junk Warrior" and "Tech Genus Blade Gunner".  
-Antinomy draws 1 card and Special Summons "Tech Genus Wonder Magician" and "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian" due to "Blade Gunner's" Effect. (Hand: 5) ****

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-N/A

 ** _End Phase:_**

 ** _-_** N/A

 **TURN 5: ANTINOMY**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite" (E-M), "Sin Paradox Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Aporia Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Antinomy Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Sin Claw Stream" (N-T). (Hand: 1) (LP: 3700)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Wonder Magician" (S-M), "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian" (S-M) (Hand: 5) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Nitro Warrior" (S-M), "Synchron Believer" (E-M), "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow". (Hand: 0) (LP: 4000) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Antinomy draws 1 card. (Hand: 6) ****

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 4)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 4)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 4)  
-Antinomy discards "Tech Genus Cyber Elf" due to "Sin Antinomy Dragon". (Hand: 5) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Gear Zombie" (1) (Wonder Magician ATK: 1900 - 900).  
-Antinomy Synchro Summons "Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly" (2, Gear Zombie + Synchron Believer).  
-Antinomy draws 1 card, "Tech Genus Drill Fish", due to "Hyper Librarian". (Hand: 6)  
-Antinomy Normal Summons "Tech Genus Drill Fish" (1). ****

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-N/A

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-Antinomy sets "Draw Master".

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 6: YUSEI**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite" (E-M), "Sin Paradox Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Aporia Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Antinomy Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Sin Claw Stream" (N-T). (Hand: 1) (LP: 3700)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Wonder Magician" (S-M), "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian" (S-M), "Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly" (S-M), "Tech Genus Drill Fish" (E-M), "Draw Master". (Hand: 4) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Nitro Warrior" (S-M), "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow". (Hand: 0) (LP: 4000) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Yusei draws 1 card, "Bolt Hedgehog". (Hand: 1)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 5)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 5)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 5)  
-Yusei sends "Bolt Hedgehog" (2) to the Graveyard due to "Sin Antinomy Dragon" ** _._** (Hand: 0)  
-Antinomy activates "Draw Master". (Yusei Hand: 4) (Paradox Hand: 4) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Antinomy Delta Accel Synchro Summons "Tech Genus Halberd Cannon" (12, Wonder Magician + Hyper Librarian + Recipro Dragonfly).  
-Yusei Special Summons "Boost Synchron" (1) due to its effect.  
-Yusei Synchro Summons "Formula Synchron" (2, Boost Synchron + Drill Fish).  
-Yusei draws 1 card due to "Formula Synchron's" Effect. (Hand: 4)  
-Yusei Special Summons "Bolt Hedgehog" (2) from the Graveyard through its Effect.  
-Yusei Special Summons "Doppelwarrior" (2) through its Effect.  
-Yusei Normal Summons "Debris Dragon" (4).  
-Yusei Synchro Summons "Stardust Dragon" (8).  
-Yusei sets "Starlight Road". ****

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-N/A

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-N/A

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 7: PARADOX**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite" (E-M), "Sin Paradox Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Aporia Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Antinomy Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Sin Claw Stream" (N-T). (Hand: 4) (LP: 3700)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Halberd Cannon" (DAS-M). (Hand: 4) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Nitro Warrior" (S-M), "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow", "Stardust Dragon", "Starlight Road". (Hand: 1) (LP: 4000) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Paradox draws 1 card. (Hand: 5)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 6)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 6)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 6) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Yusei Accel Synchro Summons "Shooting Star Dragon" (10, Formula Synchron + Stardust Dragon).

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Paradox attacks "Nitro Warrior" with "Sin Paradox Dragon".  
-Yusei activates "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow" and re-sets it.  
-Paradox attacks/destroys "Nitro Warrior" with "Sin Aporia Dragon". (Yusei LP: 4000 - 2800)(SPC: 5)  
-Paradox attacks "Shooting Star Dragon" with "Sin Antinomy Dragon".  
-Yusei removes "Shooting Star Dragon" from play due to its Effect and negates the attack. ****

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-Paradox sets "Triple Sin".

 ** _End Phase:_**

-Yusei returns "Shooting Star Dragon" onto the field.

 **TURN 8: ANTINOMY**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite" (E-M), "Sin Paradox Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Aporia Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Antinomy Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Sin Claw Stream" (N-T), "Triple Sin". (Hand: 3) (LP: 3500)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Halberd Cannon" (DAS-M). (Hand: 4) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Shooting Star Dragon" (AS-M), "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow" (C-T), "Starlight Road" (N-T). (Hand: 1) (LP: 2800) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Antinomy draws 1 card. (Hand: 5)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 7)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 7)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 6)  
-Antinomy discards a card, "Tech Genus Living Metal", due to Sin Antinomy Dragon's effect. (Hand: 3) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Cyber Elf" (4) from its effect.  
-Antinomy plays "Speed Spell – Speed Energy" (Halberd Cannon 4000 - 5400)

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Antinomy attacks "Sin Antinomy Dragon" with "Tech Genus Halberd Cannon."  
-Paradox activates "Sin Claw Stream" and destroys "Tech Genus Halberd Cannon."  
-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Power Gladiator" from "Halberd Cannon's" effect.  
-Antinomy sets "Technology Barrier". ****

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-N/A

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 9: YUSEI**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Sprite" (E-M), "Sin Paradox Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Aporia Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Antinomy Dragon" (E-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Triple Sin". (Hand: 3) (LP: 3700)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Power Gladiator" (S-M), "Tech Genus Cyber Elf" (E-M). (Hand: 1) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Shooting Star Dragon" (AS-M), "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow" (C-T), "Starlight Road" (N-T). (Hand: 1) (LP: 2800) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Yusei draws 1 card, "Speed Spell – Pot of Greed". (Hand: 2)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 8)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 8)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 7)  
-Yusei sends "Stardust Xiaolong" to the Graveyard due to "Sin Antinomy Dragon's" Effect. ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Yusei activates "Speed Spell – Pot of Greed" to draw 2 cards. (Hand: 3)  
-Yusei activates "Speed Spell – Silver Contrails" (Shooting Star Dragon ATK: 3300 - 4300) ****

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Yusei activates "Shooting Star Dragon's" Effect to attack and shows the top five cards.  
-Yusei cannot attack (reveals "Scramble Egg").  
-Yusei cannot attack (reveals "Level Warrior").  
-Yusei attacks "Sin Aporia Dragon" with "Shooting Star Dragon" (reveals "Drill Synchron"). (Paradox LP: 3700 - 3400).  
-Yusei attacks "Sin Antinomy Dragon" with "Shooting Star Dragon" (reveals "Nitro Synchron"). (Paradox LP: 3400 - 3100).  
-Yusei attacks "Sin Paradox Dragon" with "Shooting Star Dragon" (reveals "Turbo Synchron"). (Paradox LP: 3100 - 2800).  
-Yusei shuffles the revealed cards back into his Deck. ****

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-Paradox tributes "Sin Sprite" to Special Summon "Sin Z-ONE Dragon" from his hand (ATK: 5000 – Sprite, Blue Eyes, Red Eyes, Green Eyes, Paradox, Antinomy, Aporia, Parallel Gear, Antithesis Gear, Syllogic Gear)  
-Paradox destroys "Scrap-Iron Scarecrow" through its effect.  
-Yusei sets "Totem Pole" (C-T). ****

 ** _End Phase:_**

-"Speed Spell – Silver Contrails" wears off. (Shooting Star Dragon ATK: 4300 - 3300)

 **TURN 10: PARADOX**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Z-ONE Dragon" (S-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T), "Triple Sin". (Hand: 2) (LP: 2800)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Power Gladiator" (S-M), "Technology Barrier" (N-T), "Tech Genus Cyber Elf". (Hand: 1) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Shooting Star Dragon" (AS-M), "Starlight Road" (N-T), "Totem Pole" (C-T). (Hand: 0) (LP: 2800) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Paradox draws 1 card. (Hand: 4)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 9)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 9)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 8) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-N/A

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Paradox attacks "Shooting Star Dragon" with "Sin Z-ONE Dragon".  
-Antinomy activates "Technology Barrier".  
-Paradox destroys "Shooting Star Dragon". (Yusei LP: 2800 - 1100) (SPC: 7)  
-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Jet Falcon" (3) due to "Technology Barrier's" Effect. (Hand: 0)  
-Paradox tries to destroy "Starlight Road" and "Tech Genus Power Gladiator" through "Sin Z-ONE Dragon's" effect.  
-Yusei activates "Starlight Road".  
-Yusei Special Summons "Stardust Dragon".  
-Yusei Special Summons "Stardust Xiaolong."  
-Paradox activates "Triple Sin".  
-Paradox attacks "Stardust Dragon", "Stardust Xiaolong", and "Tech Genus Cyber Elf" with "Sin Z-ONE Dragon".  
-Yusei activates "Totem Pole" three times to negate all three attacks. ****

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-N/A

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 11: ANTINOMY**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Zone Dragon" (S-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T). (Hand: 3) (LP: 2800)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Power Gladiator" (S-M), "Tech Genus Jet Falcon" (T-M), "Tech Genus Cyber Elf". (Hand: 0) (LP: 4000)  
-Yusei – "Stardust Dragon" (S-M), "Stardust Xiaolong" (E-M). (Hand: 0) (LP: 1100) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Antinomy draws 1 card. (Hand: 1)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 10)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 10)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 8) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Antinomy Normal Summons "Tech Genus Limited Core" (4).  
-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly" from the Graveyard due to "Limited Core's" Effect.  
-Antinomy Synchro Summons "Metal Accel Dragon" (7, Jet Falcon + Limited Core).  
-Paradox loses 500 LP due to "Jet Falcon's" Effect. (Paradox LP: 2800 - 2300)  
-Paradox activates "Sin Zone Dragon's" Effect (Antinomy LP: 4000 - 3000) (SPC: 9)  
-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian" from "Metal Accel Dragon's" Effect.  
-Antinomy Special Summons "Tech Genus Wonder Magician" from "Cyber Elf's" Effect.

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-N/A

 ** _Main Phase 2:_**

-N/A

 ** _End Phase:_**

-N/A

 **TURN 12: YUSEI**

 ** _Situation:_**

-Paradox – "Sin Zone Dragon" (S-M), "Sin Dimension" (C-T). (Hand: 3) (LP: 2300)  
-Antinomy – "Tech Genus Power Gladiator" (S-M), "Tech Genus Recipro Dragonfly" (S-M), "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian" (S-M), "Tech Genus Wonder Magician" (S-M), "Metal Accel Dragon" (S-M). (Hand: 0) (LP: 3000)  
-Yusei – "Stardust Dragon" (S-M), "Stardust Xiaolong" (E-M). (Hand: 0) (LP: 1100) ****

 ** _Draw Phase:_**

-Yusei draws 1 card, "Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star". (Hand: 1)

 ** _Standby Phase:_**

-Paradox's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 11)  
-Antinomy's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 10)  
-Yusei's Speed Counter goes up by 1. (SPC: 9) ****

 ** _Main Phase 1:_**

-Yusei uses "Speed World 2's" effect and discards 7 SPC to draw 1 card, "Speed Spell - Reinvention". (SPC: 2)  
-Yusei plays "Speed Spell – Reinvention" to increase his SPC by 1 and add "Speed Spell – Pot of Greed" from his Cemetery to his hand. (SPC: 3)  
-Yusei plays "Speed Spell – Pot of Greed" and draws "Bright Star Dragon" (4) and "Speed Spell – Burning Dragon Star" (Ritual).  
-Yusei Normal Summons "Bright Star Dragon" (4).  
-Yusei activates "Bright Star Dragon's" effect (Stardust Xiaolong LVL: 1 - 3)  
-Yusei plays "Speed Spell – Burning Dragon Star" and tributes "Stardust Dragon" (8), "Bright Star Dragon" (4), and "Stardust Xiaolong" (3) to Ritual Summon "Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star" (12).  
-"Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star's" ATK goes up due to having "Shooting Star Dragon", "Stardust Dragon", "Bright Star Dragon", "Stardust Xiaolong", and "Debris Dragon" in the Graveyard (ATK: 5000 / DEF: 5000).  
-Antinomy Unites "Metal Accel Dragon" with "Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star" (ATK: 5000 - 8450). ****

 ** _Battle Phase:_**

-Yusei attacks "Sin Zone Dragon" with "Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star" (Paradox LP: 2300 - 0)

 **DUEL END:**

 ** _Winner(s):_**

Yusei & Antinomy


	9. Appendix: New Cards

_New cards that I made up for this particular duel. Any card you see that is mentioned but is not listed here is an official card in either the anime, manga, or the TCG._

* * *

 **CARD LIST: MONSTERS**

* * *

 **Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star**

Lvl 12 / LIGHT  
Dragon / Ritual / Effect  
ATK: ? / DEF: ?

This card can only be Ritual Summoned by "Speed Spell – Burning Dragon Star" and cannot be targeted by Spells or Traps. This card's ATK is equal to the number of Dragon-type Monsters in your Graveyard x1000. You can tribute this card to Special Summon one Dragon-type Monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.

 **Metal Accel Dragon**

Lvl 7 / WATER  
Dragon / Synchro / Union / Effect  
ATK: 2200 / DEF: 1900

When this card is Synchro Summoned successfully, you may Special Summon one Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. Once per turn, you can either: Target 1 face-up Dragon-type Monster on the field; equip this card to the target, OR: Unequip this card and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. If this monster or the monster it is equipped to enters battle, Quick-Play Spells or Traps cannot be activated by the opponent. When equipped to a Monster, half of the combined ATK of all other Synchro Monsters (except this card and the equipped monster) present on your or your allies' fields is added to the equipped monster's ATK.

 **Tech Genus Cyber Elf**

Lvl 4 / LIGHT  
Fairy / Effect  
ATK: 1000 / DEF: 500

This card can be Special Summoned on any of your turns if it was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect. You may tribute this card to Special Summon one Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. This card can also be treated as a Machine-Type monster. When a Spell/Trap Card you control targets this card, you can halve this card's original ATK and DEF. When this card is destroyed, you can add 1 "T.G." monster from your Deck to your hand. You cannot Summon it this turn.

 **Tech Genus Limited Core**

Lvl 4 / WATER  
Aqua / Effect  
ATK: 900 / DEF: 2000

When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, revive one Level 2 or lower Monster in your Graveyard. This card can also be treated as a Machine-Type monster. When a Spell/Trap Card you control targets this card, you can halve this card's original ATK and DEF. When this card is destroyed by battle, you can add 1 "T.G." monster from your Deck to your hand. You cannot Summon it this turn.

 **Tech Genus Living Metal** (unused, but mentioned)

Lvl 2 / EARTH  
Plant / Effect  
ATK: 300 / DEF: 400

This card cannot be removed from the Graveyard by a Monster Effect. This card can also be treated as a Machine-Type monster. When a Spell/Trap you control targets this card, you can double this card's original ATK and DEF. When this card is destroyed, you can add 1 "T.G." monster from your Deck to the top of the Deck.

 **Sin Sprite**

Lvl 1 / DARK  
Fairy / Effect  
ATK: 100 / DEF: 500

If this card is successfully summoned, draw 1 card. This card cannot be selected as a target by Spells, Traps, or Monster Effects while on the field. Any Battle Damage this card takes is reduced to 0 and this card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. After 9 turns, this card can be tributed to Special Summon "Sin Zone Dragon" if "Sin Paradox Dragon", "Sin Antinomy Dragon", and "Sin Aporia Dragon" are in the Graveyard.

 **Green-Eyes Grey Dragon**

Lvl 8 / WIND  
Dragon / Normal  
ATK: 2700 / DEF: 2250

The oft-forgotten dragon, it is no less deadly and those that underestimate it have fallen quickly.

 **Sin Green-Eyes Grey Dragon**

Lvl 8 / WIND  
Dragon / Effect  
ATK: 2700 / DEF: 2250

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by sending "Green-Eyes Grey Dragon" from your Deck to your Graveyard. If "Sin World" is not face-up on the field, destroy this card.

 **Sin Syllogic Gear**

Lvl 3 / DARK  
Tuner / Effect  
ATK: 0 / DEF: 0

This card can be Special Summoned if you control a face-up "Gear" monster. If "Sin World" is not face-up on the field, destroy this card.

 **Sin Antithesis Gear**

Lvl 2 / DARK  
Tuner / Effect  
ATK: 0 / DEF: 0

This card can be Special Summoned if you successfully Synchro Summon using a "Gear" monster as part of the materials. If "Sin World" is not face-up on the field, destroy this card.

 **Sin Aporia Dragon**

Lvl 10 / DARK  
Dragon / Synchro / Effect  
ATK: 4000 / DEF: 4000

When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, ignoring the Summoning conditions. When this monster battles, card effects removing a monster from play cannot be activated. If "Sin World" is not face-up on the field, destroy this card.

 **Sin Antinomy Dragon**

Lvl 10 / DARK  
Dragon / Synchro / Effect  
ATK: 4000 / DEF: 4000

When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, ignoring the Summoning conditions. Each turn, your opponent must discard the top card of their deck to the Graveyard or lose 1000 LP. If "Sin World" is not face-up on the field, destroy this card.

 **Sin Z-ONE Dragon**

Lvl 12 / DARK  
Dragon / Synchro / Effect  
ATK: 0 / DEF: 0

When this card is successfully summoned through the effects of Sin Sprite, destroy 1 card on the field. This card cannot be destroyed by Traps, Spells, or Monster Effects. This card gains 500 ATK for every "Sin" monster on your field or Graveyard. If you take damage from a card effect, your opponent loses 1000 LP. If this card destroys a monster in battle, destroy two cards on the field. If this card battles a Dragon-type Synchro Monster, its ATK is doubled. If "Sin World" is not face-up on the field, destroy this card.

* * *

 **CARD LIST: SPELLS**

* * *

 **Speed Spell - Burning Dragon Star**

Activate only if you have 3 or more Speed Counters. This card is used to Ritual Summon "Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon Star." You must Tribute at least three Dragon-type Monsters from your field whose total Levels equal Level 12 or higher. All three Monsters must be at least Level 3.

 **Speed Spell - Cost Down**

This card can only be activated if you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Select 1 monster in your hand. Lower its level by 2.

 **Speed Spell - Reinvention**

Only activate if you have 2 or more Speed Counters. You gain 1 Speed Counter. Select 1 Spell Card from your Cemetery. Add it to your hand. Your next Draw Phase is skipped.

 **Speed Spell - Pot of Greed**

Only activate if you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Draw one card for every 3 Speed Counters you have.

* * *

 **CARD LIST: TRAPS**

* * *

 **Magnet Target**

Normal Trap

When an opponent's monster declares an attack, switch the attack to any Machine-Type monster on your field. The two Monsters' ATK are switched until the end of the Damage Step. The defending monster will not be destroyed. After this has resolved, only Machine-type monsters can be attacked for the duration of the Battle Phase.

 **Draw Master**

Normal Trap

Your opponent either draws or discards cards from their hand to equal the number of cards you have.

 **Technology Barrier**

Normal Trap

This card can only be activated when a monster declares battle. Spells cannot be activated during the turn this card is active. When the effect is resolved, you may Special Summon one Level 3 or lower monster onto the field.

 **Sin Dimension**

Continuous Trap

This card's name is treated as "Sin World". You can Special Summon "Sin" monsters from your Deck by removing the corresponding non-"Sin" counterpart from play from your Deck. You may only do this three times per duel. Once per turn, you can take one "Sin" monster from your hand to your Deck instead of drawing during the Draw Phase. You may only control four "Sin" monsters at a time.

 **Sin Claw Stream**

Normal Trap

Activate only if you control a face-up "Sin" Synchro Monster. Select 1 monster your opponent controls, and destroy it.

 **Double Jeopardy**

Normal Trap

This card can only be activated if your opponent Special Summons a monster during the Battle Phase. Destroy two Synchro Monsters belonging to different players on the field. This effect cannot be negated by monster Effects.

 **Triple Sin**

Trap Card

This card can only be activated if your opponent Special Summoned monsters during your Battle Phase and all of your monsters have declared attack already. Select one of your monsters. Have it declare battle to a maximum of three targets. You may not attack directly while using this card.


End file.
